This is the seed order for the Australian Open 2026

Mystery solved. Once the first week of competition in the new season has concluded, the order of seeds for the Australian Open 2026 has been determined. This is a crucial factor to know the potential opponents that the top favorites may face in each round, a decision that will come in Thursday’s draw. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could only encounter each other in the final.

Maximal excitement is in the air in the tennis world regarding what the Australian Open 2026 might bring, a tournament that could make history. There are numerous incentives to enjoy this first Grand Slam and many mysteries to uncover. Some of these may start to become clear this Thursday, during the draw of both individual brackets. Reviewing the order of seeds and analyzing the potential matchups round by round is crucial to understand the magnitude of the challenge that the title favorites face in both individual brackets.

How Final Draw Works in Grand Slam Tournaments

This Thursday, January 15, in Melbourne, the draw for the individual men’s and women’s brackets of the Australian Open 2026 will take place, starting at 16:30 local time, which translates to 04:30 in Spain. What is already known is that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, along with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, could only face each other in hypothetical finals. But there are many other regulations that need to be understood to determine the potential opponents for each player.

Third Round

Seeds 1-8 can face seeds 25-32
Seeds 9-16 can face seeds 17-24

Round of 16

Seeds 1-4 can face seeds 13-16
Seeds 5-8 can face seeds 9-12

Quarterfinals

Seeds 1-4 can face seeds 5-8

Order of Seeds in the Men’s Draw of the Australian Open 2026

Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner
Alexander Zverev
Novak Djokovic
Lorenzo Musetti
Álex de Miñaur
Félix Auger-Aliassime
Ben Shelton
Taylor Fritz
Alexander Bublik
Daniil Medvedev
Casper Ruud
Andrey Rublev
Alejandro Davidovich
Karen Khachanov
Jakub Mensik
Jiri Lehecka
Francisco Cerúndolo
Tommy Paul
Flavio Cobolli
Denis Shapovalov
Luciano Darderi
Tallon Griekspoor
Arthur Rinderknech
Learner Tien
Cameron Norrie
Brandon Nakashima
Joao Fonseca
Frances Tiafoe
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Valentin Vacherot
Corentin Moutet

Both Alcaraz and Sinner are aware that they cannot relax in the slightest if they want to assert their status as favorites to meet in the final. If they manage to avoid upsets in the first two rounds, they will have to face potential matchups in the third round against players ranked between 25th and 32nd among the seeds. Young talents like Tien and Fonseca could pose a significant challenge, as would a revamped Tsitsipas, experienced Norrie, or the ever-capable Moutet. The uncertainties increase with Tiafoe and Vacherot.

In the round of 16, Carlos, Jannik, Djokovic, and Zverev know they could cross paths with Rublev, Davidovich, Khachanov, or Mensik, all of whom are highly dangerous players on a good day. Perhaps the Spaniards and Djokovic are the most likely to surprise but also to be clearly outplayed if they do not arrive in optimal physical and mental conditions.

Looking ahead to the quarterfinals, there won’t be any easy opponents, with De Miñaur backed by the local crowd, Auger-Aliassime and Musetti seeking to advance in their careers, and Shelton causing great concern to any opponent due to his rapid play. Djokovic and Zverev will each head to opposite sides of the draw, setting up potential semifinal clashes for Alcaraz and Sinner.

Order of Seeds in the Women’s Draw of the Australian Open 2026

Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek
Cori Gauff
Amanda Anisimova
Elena Rybakina
Jessica Pegula
Jasmine Paolini
Mirra Andreeva
Madison Keys
Belinda Bencic
Ekaterina Alexandrova
Elina Svitolina
Linda Noskova
Clara Tauson
Emma Navarro
Naomi Osaka
Victoria Mboko
Liudmila Samsonova
Karolina Muchova
Marta Kostyuk
Elise Mertens
Leylah Fernández
Diana Shnaider
Jelena Ostapenko
Paula Badosa
Dayana Yastremska
Sofia Kenin
Emma Raducanu
Iva Jovic
Maya Joint
Anna Kalinskaya
Marketa Vondrousova

Many envision a Grand Slam final between Sabalenka and Swiatek, a real possibility this tournament. However, both the Belarusian and the Polish player will need to overcome tough challenges in each round. If they clear the hurdles in the first and second rounds, they will face formidable opponents in the third round, including Badosa, Raducanu, Kenin, Vondrousova, or the rising star Jovic.

Looking towards the round of 16, the top four in the world could meet Noskova, Tauson, Navarro, or Osaka. These contenders pose a significant threat, and witnessing a clash between the Japanese player and Aryna, Iga, Cori, or Amanda would be fascinating. As for potential quarterfinal matchups, Rybakina could be the one to avoid, although Paolini, Pegula, and Andreeva are also capable of defeating any of the top four favorites.

It is essential to remember that the draw will determine which side of the bracket Gauff and Anisimova land on, potentially setting up one of them as the semifinal opponent for Sabalenka and the other for Swiatek. In conclusion, two weeks of excitement are on the horizon at the Australian Open 2026, with the title favorites having no room for relaxation and the draw for both individual brackets potentially being a determining factor in the outcomes from January 18 to February 1 in Melbourne.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Este es el orden de cabezas de serie para el Open de Australia 2026