{"id":667,"date":"2026-01-19T10:03:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T10:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/?p=667"},"modified":"2026-01-19T10:03:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T10:03:11","slug":"australian-open-2026-day-1-review-sabalenka-survives-bublik-shines-drama-across-the-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/australian-open-2026-day-1-review-sabalenka-survives-bublik-shines-drama-across-the-courts\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Open 2026 Day 1 Review: Sabalenka Survives, Bublik Shines, Drama Across the Courts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Australian Open 2026 is officially underway, and the opening day in Melbourne delivered exactly what fans expect from the season\u2019s first Grand Slam: drama, surprises, standout performances, and emotional moments. From dominant wins by top seeds to painful early exits and unforgettable storylines, here is a comprehensive expert recap of Day 1 at the Australian Open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sport-prediction.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"744\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e7057f8032793b43cd0fce39eaa09.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e7057f8032793b43cd0fce39eaa09.png 744w, https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e7057f8032793b43cd0fce39eaa09-300x60.png 300w, https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e7057f8032793b43cd0fce39eaa09-600x121.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Did the Top Seeds Perform?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>World No.1 <strong>Aryna Sabalenka<\/strong>, watched closely by tennis legends <strong>Roger Federer<\/strong> and <strong>Rod Laver<\/strong>, opened her campaign with a tense victory over wildcard <strong>Tianzoa Rakotomananga Rajaona<\/strong>, who prefers to be called \u201cSarah.\u201d The first set was highly competitive, but Sabalenka eventually pulled away to win <strong>6\u20134, 6\u20131<\/strong>. The match also produced an unusual moment when Sabalenka accidentally struck her opponent with the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alexander Bublik<\/strong> delivered one of the most impressive performances of the day, dismantling the dangerous <strong>Jenson Brooksby<\/strong> with remarkable control and attacking precision. Bublik won <strong>6\u20134, 6\u20134, 6\u20134<\/strong>, showcasing a confident backhand and near-total command of the ball throughout most of the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>World No.3 <strong>Alexander Zverev<\/strong> dropped the opening set to <strong>Gabriel Diallo<\/strong> but recovered convincingly, winning <strong>6\u20137(1), 6\u20131, 6\u20134, 6\u20132<\/strong>. Diallo\u2019s aggressive and disciplined start faded as unforced errors crept in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Top seed <strong>Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong> began his Australian Open in businesslike fashion, defeating <strong>Adam Walton<\/strong> <strong>6\u20133, 7\u20136(2), 6\u20132<\/strong>. The Spaniard briefly lost and then regained a break in the second set, mixing efficiency with flashes of creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Costly Mistakes: Early Exits for Alexandrov\u0430 and Pavlyuchenkova<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>World No.11 <strong>Ekaterina Alexandrova<\/strong> suffered a painful defeat against qualifier <strong>Zeynep S\u00f6nmez<\/strong>, losing <strong>5\u20137, 6\u20134, 4\u20136<\/strong>. Alexandrova led <strong>5\u20132<\/strong> with a set point in the opening set and <strong>3\u20130<\/strong> in the deciding set, but failed to close either advantage. This marks her <strong>third consecutive first-round exit at the Australian Open<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former finalist <strong>Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova<\/strong> also experienced heartbreak, missing a match point in the final-set tiebreak against world No.697 qualifier <strong>Zhoxuan Bai<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shot of the Day: Maria Sakkari<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Maria Sakkari<\/strong> produced arguably the shot of the tournament\u2019s opening day with a stunning return winner. Even she appeared stunned afterward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m 30 years old and I\u2019ve been playing tennis for 25 years, and I never imagined I could hit a return like that. You see shots like this from Roger Federer or Carlos Alcaraz \u2014 and then there was me. I\u2019m sure this will be one of the best shots of the tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Firsts of the Tournament<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Several milestones were recorded on Day 1:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Anna Blinkova<\/strong> suffered the tournament\u2019s first loss, falling unexpectedly to Australian wildcard <strong>Talia Gibson<\/strong> <strong>1\u20136, 3\u20136<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dayana Yastremska<\/strong> became the first seeded player eliminated, losing to <strong>Elena-Gabriela Ruse<\/strong> <strong>4\u20136, 5\u20137<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flavio Cobolli<\/strong> required the first medical timeout and first video review, eventually losing to world No.185 <strong>Arthur Fery<\/strong> <strong>6\u20137(1), 4\u20136, 1\u20136<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Match of the Day: Jacquemot vs Kostyuk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Elsa Jacquemot<\/strong> and <strong>Marta Kostyuk<\/strong> battled for over <strong>three and a half hours<\/strong>, becoming the first women in Australian Open history to contest <strong>three tiebreaks in a single match<\/strong>. Jacquemot emerged victorious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kostyuk, who entered Melbourne in strong form after multiple top-10 wins and a Brisbane final, served for the second set before losing momentum. She later suffered an ankle injury in the third set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One-Handed Backhand of the Day: Corentin Moutet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Corentin Moutet<\/strong> delivered a spectacular one-handed backhand winner \u2014 particularly notable given that he usually hits his backhand with two hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comeback of the Day: Anastasia Potapova<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Representing Austria at her first Grand Slam under the new flag, <strong>Anastasia Potapova<\/strong> staged an impressive comeback against <strong>Suzan Lamens<\/strong>, winning <strong>3\u20136, 7\u20135, 6\u20132<\/strong> after trailing <strong>1\u20135<\/strong> in the second set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emotional Moments and Sportsmanship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Yulia Putintseva<\/strong> fought back from a set and a break down against <strong>Beatriz Haddad Maia<\/strong>, later celebrating passionately in front of vocal Brazilian supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Miomir Kecmanovi\u0107<\/strong>, who lost the tournament\u2019s first five-set match to <strong>Tom\u00e1s Mart\u00edn Etcheverry<\/strong>, revealed after the match that he is still grieving the loss of his grandmother, who passed away on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most touching moment came from <strong>Zeynep S\u00f6nmez<\/strong>, who helped a ball girl who collapsed during her match with Alexandrova, guiding her to shade and assisting with cooling efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breakthrough Performance: Michael Zheng<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Michael Zheng<\/strong>, a 21-year-old American college student, produced one of the day\u2019s biggest surprises. After qualifying for his first ATP-level main draw, he defeated former top-15 player <strong>Sebastian Korda<\/strong> in five sets: <strong>6\u20134, 6\u20134, 3\u20136, 6\u20137(0), 6\u20133<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Venus Williams Sets a New Record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At <strong>45 years and 215 days<\/strong>, <strong>Venus Williams<\/strong> became the oldest singles competitor in Australian Open history during the Open Era. When Venus first played a professional tour match, <strong>112 players in the 2026 Australian Open women\u2019s draw had not yet been born<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She came close to advancing, leading <strong>4\u20130<\/strong> in the final set against <strong>Olga Danilovic<\/strong>, before ultimately losing <strong>7\u20136(5), 3\u20136, 4\u20136<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elsewhere in the Tennis World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While action unfolds in Melbourne, <strong>2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu<\/strong> is competing at an ITF tournament in Florida, where she has reached the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the complete Australian Open schedule, daily order of play, and the latest match results, visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/australian-open-schedule-results-2026-full-match-dates-order-of-play-and-latest-scores\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/australian-open-schedule-results-2026-full-match-dates-order-of-play-and-latest-scores\/\">full Australian Open schedule and results page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian Open 2026 is officially underway, and the opening day in Melbourne delivered exactly what fans expect from the season\u2019s first Grand Slam: drama, surprises, standout performances, and emotional moments. From dominant wins by top seeds to painful early exits and unforgettable storylines, here is a comprehensive expert recap of Day 1 at the Australian Open.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-tournaments","category-contests"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=667"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":672,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667\/revisions\/672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usopen-tennis.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}