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Five Challenger players to watch at the Australian Open

  • Posted: Jan 17, 2026

From a #NextGenATP showdown in the opening round, to former college standouts and other rising talents, ATPTour.com highlights five ATP Challenger players to watch during the Australian Open.

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Rei Sakamoto
The 19-year-old lifted the 2024 boys’ singles crown in Melbourne, becoming the first Japanese player to win the junior title at the Australian Open. Since then, the 6’4” (193cm) teenager has made a splash on the ATP Challenger circuit, including a triumph last November on home soil at the Yokohama Challenger, his final tournament of 2025.

The first Japanese teenager to win three Challenger titles, Sakamoto stormed through the Melbourne qualifying draw to make his first major main-draw appearance. He began with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 win against former World No. 21 Daniel Evans and built upon that momentum, not dropping a set to earn a milestone appearance Down Under. Sakamoto will face fellow 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in the first round.

Rafael Jodar
It will be an entertaining opening-round clash between two emerging talents, Sakamoto and Jodar. Not only is the Spaniard competing in his first major main draw, this past week marked his first attempt at qualifying for Slam — mission accomplished. Jodar’s Challenger results have been a key stepping stone to where he is today.

In the second half of the 2025 season, Jodar won three Challenger titles in as many months en route to qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. On New Year’s Eve, the 19-year-old announced that he was turning pro, forgoing his remaining eligibility at the University of Virginia, where he spent two seasons. He began this season with a run to the final at the Canberra Challenger, where he fell to 2025 Jeddah runner-up Alexander Blockx. Jodar is at a career-high No. 150 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Liam Draxl
The Canadian was one of two players (Emilio Nava) to earn a season-leading 44 match wins at the Challenger level in 2025. Draxl, 24, won on the hard courts of Winnipeg in July and reached six additional finals to cap his career-best year. Now, the former University of Kentucky standout turns his attention to his first major main-draw appearance.

Draxl was nearly out of qualifying when he faced a 3-6, 3-5 deficit against Mackenzie McDonald in the final round. Two points from defeat at 3-5 in the second set, Draxl hammered a backhand pass to finish a thrilling exchange in which the American had an opportunity to put away an overhead. Draxl stormed back to win 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, securing his place in the main draw in dramatic fashion. He will start against Damir Dzumhur.

Raphael Collignon
The 23-year-old will look to relive his memories from last year’s US Open, where he reached the third round of a Slam for the first time, having defeated 12th seed Casper Ruud in a five-set, three-hour, 30-minute battle along the way. The Belgian faces a tough test in fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti in his Melbourne opener.

At a career-high No. 72 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Collignon reached his second career tour-level quarter-final in Brisbane earlier this month. He is competing in the Australian Open main draw for the first time. Collignon, whose father is a brain surgeon, lifted two Challenger trophies in 2025 (Pau, Monza).

Patrick Kypson
A seven-time Challenger champion, Kypson was among a six-way tie for the most titles (4) at that level in 2025. The 26-year-old earned a spot in the main draw by winning the USTA’s Australian Open Wild Card Challenge last November, in large part helped by his triumphs at the Sioux Falls and Helsinki Challengers.

Competing in Melbourne for the second time (2024) and seeking his first major main-draw win, Kypson begins against Argentine Francisco Comesana.

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Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic feature in 10 things to watch at the Australian Open

  • Posted: Jan 17, 2026

There is no shortage of compelling narratives at this year’s Australian Open, where Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic all arrive with history firmly in their sights.

Alcaraz, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is bidding for a maiden crown at the hard-court major — a triumph with which he would complete the Career Grand Slam. Two-time defending champion Sinner and record 10-time winner Djokovic stand among a deep field of contenders eager to halt the Spaniard’s charge.

ATPTour.com highlights 10 storylines to follow at the 2026 Australian Open.

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1) Alcaraz chases Career Grand Slam: Alcaraz has yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals in four previous appearances at the Australian Open, but he has made no secret of his ambition to lift the title in Melbourne. Should he triumph, the World No. 1 will become just the sixth man in the Open Era to win at least one major title at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

2) Can Sinner complete hat-trick? The two-time defending champion is attempting to join Djokovic as the only man in the Open Era to win three straight Australian Open titles. Sinner owns a 22-4 record at the event, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, with his most recent loss coming against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round in 2023.

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3) Djokovic returns to stomping ground:
 After being forced to retire injured from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev last year, Djokovic is back at his most successful major with renewed motivation. The 38-year-old claimed his 101st tour-level title in Athens in November and is chasing a 25th Grand Slam trophy, which would move him clear of Margaret Court on the all-time list.

4) Zverev pushes on in bid for maiden Slam:
A three-time major finalist, Zverev continues to feature prominently in the latter stages of the biggest tournaments, but the elusive breakthrough remains. The German, runner-up to Sinner last year, begins his campaign against powerful Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

5) Resurgent Medvedev:
 Following a strong close to the 2025 season and a title run in Brisbane to open 2026, Daniil Medvedev appears revitalised after managing just one major match win last year. A former World No. 1 and three-time Melbourne finalist, Medvedev could meet longtime rival Zverev in the quarter-finals. He leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 14-8.

6) Aussie hopes on home soil:
At a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alex de Minaur spearheads the local charge. The 26-year-old, a competitor at the past two Nitto ATP Finals, is joined in the main draw by fellow Australians Alexei Popyrin, Adam Walton — who opens against Alcaraz — and James Duckworth, while Jason Kubler advanced through qualifying.

7) #NextGen talents take centre stage:
Recent Next Gen ATP Finals champions Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca return as the 25th and 28th seeds, respectively. Tien stunned Medvedev en route to the fourth round last year, while Fonseca claimed a notable win over Andrey Rublev. They are joined by 2025 Jeddah competitors Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Rafael Jodar, Nishesh Basavareddy and Dino Prizmic, as well as 19-year-old Rei Sakamoto.

8) Wawrinka headlines wild cards:
Stan Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the end of the 2026 season, captured the first of his three major titles in Melbourne in 2014 and returns this year as a wild card. Australian Jordan Thompson also enters via wild card, having not played a tour-level match since October in Shanghai.

9) First-round popcorn clashes:
De Minaur faces an immediate challenge against former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini. World No. 8 Ben Shelton, a semi-finalist last year, opens against Adelaide finalist Ugo Humbert, while Grigor Dimitrov versus Tomas Machac adds to a trio of must-watch opening-round encounters.

10) Kokkinakis/Kyrgios feature in doubles:
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool arrive as the top seeds after finishing 2025 by claiming Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The doubles field also includes 2022 Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios, adding further intrigue to the competition.

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Raonic's wife Camille pens emotional note celebrating his retirement

  • Posted: Jan 16, 2026

Milos Raonic’s wife Camille Raonic penned an emotional tribute to her husband after he announced his retirement from tennis on Monday.

Camille took to social media to express her gratitude and love toward the Canadian, stating his ‘career meant so much to so many’. Raonic married Camille in April 2022 and paid tribute to her during his announcement on Monday.

“Your powerful serve became your signiture, your relentless work eithic set you apart and your quiet determination propelled you to the world’s biggest stages,” she wrote on Friday. “You broke records, shattered expectations and redefined what was possible for Canadian tennis.”

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Raonic won eight tour-level titles during his career and climbed to a career-high No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

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Alcaraz chases No. 1 Club history as Career Grand Slam looms at Australian Open

  • Posted: Jan 16, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the 2026 Australian Open with more than just the year’s first major trophy in his sights.

The World No. 1 is playing for a chance to complete the Career Grand Slam and join another exclusive list. Should Alcaraz triumph in Melbourne, he will become just the sixth man in the Open Era — and the fifth ATP No. 1 Club member — to win all four major titles at least once.

Alcaraz would join Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Rod Laver famously captured all four majors in a single season in 1969, but the PIF ATP Rankings were not introduced until 1973. Since then, only four men have completed the Career Grand Slam, each carving a unique path through tennis history.

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Andre Agassi
After falling short in consecutive Roland Garros finals in 1990 and 1991, Agassi eventually got over the line at the clay-court major eight years later in 1999. The American rallied from two sets down against Andrei Medvedev in an epic final to become the first man in the PIF ATP Rankings era to complete the Career Grand Slam.

“That was a day, in between the lines of a tennis court, when I knew I wouldn’t have any more regrets,” Agassi reflected to Tennis Channel last year. “It was the last one of the four for me to win. It was one I could have won 10 years earlier a couple of times.”

During his career, Agassi won eight major titles and spent 101 weeks at World No. 1 before he retired in 2006.

Roger Federer
Federer also completed his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, in 2009, when he finally conquered the one major that had eluded him. His straight-sets victory over Robin Soderling came after years of three consecutive final losses to great rival Rafael Nadal.

“This might be my greatest victory, or rather the one that lifts the most pressure off my shoulders,” Federer said after the match. “I think for the rest of my career I can enjoy playing and never hear that I’ve never won Roland Garros.”

The Swiss legend lifted 20 major trophies, including winning the other three major trophies at least five times each during his career. He reached the Roland Garros final once more in 2011, but was stopped for a fourth time by Nadal.

<img alt=”Roger Federer” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/06/15/39/federer-roland-garros-2009-trophy.jpg” />Roger Federer wins the 2009 Roland Garros title. Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images. 

Rafael Nadal
Nadal secured his Career Grand Slam at the 2010 US Open, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to do so at age 24. The victory marked one of the Spaniard’s most dominant years, winning each of the final three Grand Slam tournaments to complete a rare surface sweep.

By winning the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal achieved the Career Grand Slam twice, winning each of the four majors at least two times — a testament to his adaptability beyond a record 14 Roland Garros titles. The Spaniard finished his career with 22 Grand Slam trophies and an enduring reputation for competitive intensity.

Novak Djokovic
Djokovic completed his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros 2016, joining Federer and Nadal in a golden era defined by historic Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalries. He had fallen in three previous finals — two to Nadal (2012, ‘14) and one to Stan Wawrinka (2015) — but made no mistake with a four-set comeback win over Andy Murray.

“It’s incredibly flattering to know that Rod Laver is the last one that managed to do that,” said Djokovic, who held all four major titles at the same time. “There are not many words that can describe it. It’s one of the ultimate challenges that you have as a tennis player. I’m very proud, very thrilled.”

Djokovic would go on to complete the Career Grand Slam three times, becoming the only man in history to do so. He holds a record 24 major titles and has spent a record 428 weeks at No. 1 throughout his career.

<img alt=”Novak Djokovic” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/06/15/39/djokovic-roland-garros-2016-celebration.jpg” />Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the 2016 Roland Garros title. Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images. 

Alcaraz at the Crossroads
Now, six-time major champion Alcaraz stands on the brink of joining this elite group. Over the next two weeks at Melbourne Park, history is once again in play for the 22-year-old.

“It’s my first goal, to be honest,” Alcaraz said after his triumph at the 2025 US Open, referring to completing the Career Grand Slam. “When I go to the preseason to [see] what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, the Australian Open is there.

“It is always the main goal for me to complete a Career Grand Slam, Calendar Grand Slam… So it’s going to be great.”

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Humbert denies top seed Davidovich Fokina in Adelaide SF thriller

  • Posted: Jan 16, 2026

Ugo Humbert kept alive his bid for a debut crown at the Adelaide International in memorable fashion on Friday night, when he edged top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a tense deciding-set tie-break.

The Frenchman held firm under the lights to claim a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4) victory and advance to his 11th ATP Tour final. In Saturday’s championship, Humbert will seek an eighth ATP Tour title when he faces Tomas Machac, whom he leads 1-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I thought I was half Australian, so thank you so much guys,” Humbert said to the crowd. “The atmosphere was so good, I enjoyed my time on the court so much. It was a great match, Foki played at a great level, and I’m super happy that I’m in the final here.”

For Davidovich Fokina, the loss represented another cruel near miss at the business end of a tournament. The No. 15 player in the PIF ATP Rankings suffered his second straight defeat in a deciding-set tie-break, coming after his Washington heartbreak in July, when he squandered three championship points against Alex de Minaur in the final — one of four title matches he reached in 2025 as he continues his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour trophy.

Making his debut at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, Humbert imposed himself for long stretches of the semi-final, carving the court open with sharp angles and relentless intent. Though Davidovich Fokina surged back to force a decider — highlighted by a scorching backhand return winner on set point in the second set — Humbert reset quickly and delivered when it mattered most, navigating the tension of the tie-break with composure.

Earlier on Friday, Machac booked his spot in the final with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over second seed Tommy Paul, continuing his resurgence in Adelaide. The Czech found an extra burst of intensity in the deciding set to reach his third ATP Tour final and first since lifting the trophy in Acapulco last February.

Both semi-finalists arrived in Adelaide seeking momentum after challenging closing stretches to the 2025 season. Paul missed the final three months of the year with a foot injury before returning in Brisbane last week, while Machac snapped a four-match losing streak — dating back to Shanghai in October — with a first-round win over Australia’s James Duckworth.

“I started very slow, but then I just tried to fight and move better, and it went great, I could barely miss,” Machac said in his on-court interview. “Normally I play great in Australia, so maybe [the turnaround in form] is because of you guys! I will just try to play my tennis and I will definitely enjoy the final.”

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