Sometimes the first step can be the hardest.

“I think obviously started a little slow today and definitely nervous,” said Madison Keys, reflecting on the opening set of her Australian Open title defense.

Said Iga Swiatek of her first set in Melbourne: “The start of the match wasn’t that perfect. I’m happy that I worked through this.” 

Both Swiatek and Keys prevailed in tiebreaks and went on to win in straight sets. So did former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova and No. 31 seed Anna Kalinskaya. 

Two qualifiers, Maddison Inglis and teenager Nikola Bartunkova, won first-set tiebreaks, then hung on to win in three.

“Doesn’t matter to overanalyze it,” Swiatek said afterward. “Just you got to be ready for the next match and take lessons from why the match was kind of tighter and try to improve stuff for the next round.”

Perhaps Thursday’s second-round matches from the bottom half of the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz draw will be less stressful and more conventional. Perhaps not.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek vs. Marie Bouzkova

Head-to-head: Swiatek, 2-0, 2024 Roland Garros, 2025 Wuhan

Swiatek survived qualifier Yuan Yue and now faces a more familiar opponent in Bouzkova, who handled Renata Zarazua 6-2, 7-5 to get here.

She’s still only 24 years old, and it’s easy to take Swiatek’s consistency for granted. 

Swiatek is the first woman to reach the second round in 25 consecutive Grand Slams since Svetlana Kuznetsova (26, from 2006-12). She’s looking to reach the third round in her 24th consecutive Grand Slam — no woman in the Open Era has advanced to the third round of any decade’s first 24 majors.

Bouzkova, ranked No. 44, has been to the third round of the three other majors and is seeking a personal breakthrough here.

No. 4 Amanda Anisimova vs. Katerina Siniakova

Head-to-head: 0-0

Anisimova had a more routine first-round win, 6-3, 6-2 over Simona Waltert and similarly Siniakova defeated Panna Udvardy 6-1, 6-2.

Anisimova, who briefly slipped ahead of Coco Gauff for the No. 3 ranking, has high hopes after reaching two Grand Slam finals last year. 

“I’m just focused on what I need to do, how I want to improve as a player,” Anisimova said. “There is not much to it, really. Just trying to find that extra edge anywhere I can, same as last year.”

This is only major in which Anisimova has failed to reach at least the quarterfinals; she’s made the fourth round three times. With temperatures on the rise, the bigger servers will be rewarded. Only Aryna Sabalenka (96), and Naomi Osaka (93) hit more aces than Anisimova’s 76 in last year’s Grand Slams.

In her 13th main draw here, Siniakova — the world’s No. 1-ranked doubles player — is trying to reach the third round for the first time.

No. 5 Elena Rybakina vs. Varvara Gracheva

Head-to-head: Rybakina, 2-0, 2022 St. Petersburg, 2023 Indian Wells

Rybakina limited Gracheva to only three games in each of those previous contests.

“She can play really well on the baseline,” Rybakina noted. “She can get good serves. I think the most important thing is to focus on my game. Of course, on the serve because no matter who is on the other side, if the serve is going, then it’s perfect.”

In a 6-4, 6-3 opening win over Kaja Juvan, Rybakina served five aces and zero double faults. Gracheva was a 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 winner over Viktorija Golubic, converting seven break points.

Rybakina is 3-3 in second-round matches at the Australian Open. She has won six straight second-rounders; the last loss at that stage came two years ago, to Anna Blinkova. 

A win would equal Gracheva’s best result in Melbourne.

No. 6 Jessica Pegula vs. McCartney Kessler

Head-to-head: 1-0, Pegula, 2025 Austin final

Across the board, the numbers favor Pegula. She’s won 11 of her past 12 meetings against fellow Americans — losing over that span only to Coco Gauff in Wuhan’s final. One of those wins was a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Kessler last February.

In the past five years, only Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have reached the third round here more (five) than Pegula (four).

A win would vault Kessler into the third round of a major for the first time in her career. 

No. 9 Madison Keys vs. Ashlyn Krueger

Head-to-head: 0-0

Another All-American matchup — and another where history favors the seeded player. Only twice in the Open Era has the defending champion lost in the second round, Sofia Kenin in 2021 and Mary Pierce in 1996.

With 35 main-draw wins, the Australian Open is Keys’ most successful tournament. Her 35-10 record (.778) is surpassed only by Sabalenka (.867) and Naomi Osaka (.794).

Krueger is trying to equal her best result in a major, the third round at the 2024 US Open. The 21-year-old, ranked No. 62, has now made the second round in four consecutive Grand Slams. She’s 1-10 against Top 10 players, beating Rybakina last year in Miami.

If Keys and Pegula each win two more matches, they’d meet in the fourth round.

No. 10 Belinda Bencic vs. qualifier Nikola Bartunkova

Head-to-head: 0-0

Three weeks into 2026, there are only three undefeated players left — Sabalenka, (the Brisbane champion), Elina Svitolina (Auckland) and Bencic (United Cup MVP). The 28-year-old Swiss went 5-0 in United Cup play and in Melbourne, defeated Katie Boulter 6-0, 7-5 in her opener.

Bencic has reached the third round in Melbourne five of the past six times but lost her most recent second-rounder in a major, to Ann Li at the US Open.

This is Bartunkova’s first match against a player ranked in the Top 10. 

No. 16 Naomi Osaka vs. Sorana Cirstea

Head-to-head: 1-0, Cirstea, 2015 Wimbledon qualifying

That was more than 10 years ago, when Osaka was only 17 years old and ranked No. 167. Cirstea, then 25, was at No. 191. Osaka went on to win four Grand Slam singles titles, two of them at Melbourne Park.

Osaka, who entered the court for her opening match wearing a jellyfish-inspired dress, a white wide-brim hat and matching veil and parasol, was a three-set winner over Antonia Ruzic.

Cirstea, 35, is playing her final Australian Open after announcing that the 2026 season would be her last.

Australian Open: Day 5 schedule

ROD LAVER ARENA — Start 11:30 a.m.

— Jessica Pegula (USA) [6] vs. McCartney Kessler (USA)
Followed by
— Not before 1:30 p.m.
— Francesco Maestrelli (ITA) vs. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [4]

7:00 p.m.
— James Duckworth (AUS) vs. Jannik Sinner (ITA) [2]
Followed by
— Elena Rybakina (KAZ) [5] vs. Varvara Gracheva (FRA)

MARGARET COURT ARENA — Start 11:30 a.m.

— Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) [5] vs. Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)
Followed by
— Not before 1:30 p.m.
— Katerina Siniakova (CZE) vs. Amanda Anisimova (USA) [4]

7:00 p.m.
— Naomi Osaka (JPN) [16] vs. Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
Followed by
— Jaume Munar (ESP) vs. Casper Ruud (NOR) [12]

JOHN CAIN ARENA — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Ashlyn Krueger (USA) vs. Madison Keys (USA) [9]
Followed by
— Ben Shelton (USA) [8] vs. Dane Sweeny (AUS)

5:00 p.m.
— Marie Bouzkova (CZE) vs. Iga Swiatek (POL) [2]
Followed by
— Vit Kopriva (CZE) vs. Taylor Fritz (USA) [9]

KIA ARENA — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Rinky Hijikata (AUS) vs. Valentin Vacherot (MON) [30]
Followed by
— Linda Noskova (CZE) [13] vs. Taylah Preston (AUS)
— Arthur Gea (FRA) vs. Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
— Not before 4:00 p.m.
— Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) / Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs. Jason Kubler (AUS) / Marc Polmans (AUS)

1573 ARENA — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Oksana Selekhmeteva vs. Paula Badosa (ESP) [25]
Followed by
— Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs. Ethan Quinn (USA)
— Elise Mertens (BEL) [21] vs. Moyuka Uchijima (JPN)
— Denis Shapovalov (CAN) [21] vs. Marin Cilic (CRO)

ANZ ARENA — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Karen Khachanov [15] vs. Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)
Followed by
— Not before 1:00 p.m.
— Maddison Inglis (AUS) vs. Laura Siegemund (GER)
— Tomas Machac (CZE) vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) [31]
— Nikola Bartunkova (CZE) vs. Belinda Bencic (SUI) [10]

COURT 5 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Ray Ho (TPE) / Hendrik Jebens (GER) vs. Simone Bolelli (ITA) / Andrea Vavassori (ITA) [7]
— Shuai Zhang (CHN) / Tim Puetz (GER) [6] vs. Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) / Yuki Bhambri (IND)
— Matthew Romios (AUS) / Ryan Seggerman (USA) vs. Alexander Erler (AUT) / Robert Galloway (USA)
— N. Sriram Balaji (IND) / Neil Oberleitner (AUT) vs. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) / Jordan Thompson (AUS)

COURT 6 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Sebastian Baez (ARG) vs. Luciano Darderi (ITA) [22]
— Xinyu Wang (CHN) vs. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) [24]
— Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) / Makoto Ninomiya (JPN) vs. Emerson Jones (AUS) / Astra Sharma (AUS)
— Alex Bolt (AUS) / Dane Sweeny (AUS) vs. Corentin Moutet (FRA) / Luca Sanchez (FRA)

COURT 7 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Jakub Paul (SUI) / Marcus Willis (GBR) vs. Evan King (USA) / John Peers (AUS) [15]
— Janice Tjen (INA) vs. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
— Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) vs. Juncheng Shang (CHN)
— Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) vs. Tereza Valentova (CZE)

COURT 8 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Kimberly Birrell (AUS) / Talia Gibson (AUS) vs. Momoko Kobori (JPN) / Ayano Shimizu (JPN)
— Diego Hidalgo (ECU) / Patrik Trhac (USA) vs. Harri Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR) [2]
— Hanyu Guo (CHN) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) [16] vs. Alycia Parks (USA) / Dayana Yastremska (UKR)
— Caty McNally (USA) / Camila Osorio (COL) vs. Sofia Kenin (USA) / Laura Siegemund (GER) [13]

COURT 11 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Ena Shibahara (JPN) / Vera Zvonareva vs. Liudmila Samsonova / Diana Shnaider [10]
— Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) / Mate Pavic (CRO) [4] vs. Tomislav Brkic (BIH) / Damir Dzumhur (BIH)
— Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG) / Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) vs. Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) / Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)
— Eri Hozumi (JPN) / Fang-Hsien Wu (TPE) vs. Irina Khromacheva / Alexandra Panova [11]

COURT 12 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Quinn Gleason (USA) / Elena Pridankina vs. Anna Danilina (KAZ) / Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) [7]
— Sadio Doumbia (FRA) / Fabien Reboul (FRA) [12] vs. Sander Arends (NED) / Romain Arneodo (MON)
— Viktorija Golubic (SUI) / Ann Li (USA) vs. Miyu Kato (JPN) / Fanny Stollar (HUN) [15]
— Priscilla Hon (AUS) / Ashlyn Krueger (USA) vs. Storm Hunter (AUS) / Maya Joint (AUS)

COURT 13 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Jakub Mensik (CZE) [16] vs. Rafael Jodar (ESP)
Followed by
— Not before 1:00 p.m.
— Anna Kalinskaya [31] vs. Julia Grabher (AUT)
— Eliot Spizzirri (USA) vs. Yibing Wu (CHN)
— Asia Muhammad (USA) / Evan King (USA) vs. Gabriella Da Silva Fick (AUS) / Blake Bayldon (AUS)

COURT 14 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) / Xinyu Jiang (CHN) [14] vs. Anna Blinkova / Kamilla Rakhimova (UZB)
— Peyton Stearns (USA) vs. Petra Marcinko (CRO)
— Kimberly Birrell (AUS) / John-Patrick Smith (AUS) vs. Demi Schuurs (NED) / Julian Cash (GBR) [3]
— Hailey Baptiste (USA) / Peyton Stearns (USA) vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) / Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA)

COURT 15 — Start 11:00 a.m.

— Vasil Kirkov (USA) / Bart Stevens (NED) vs. Gonzalo Escobar (ECU) / Miguel Reyes-Varela (MEX)
— Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) / David Pel (NED) vs. Marcelo Melo (BRA) / Fernando Romboli (BRA)
— Olivia Gadecki (AUS) / John Peers (AUS) vs. Vera Zvonareva / Lucas Miedler (AUT)
— Sebastian Baez (ARG) / Francisco Comesana (ARG) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) [3]