{"id":408858,"date":"2026-01-15T13:54:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T13:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/408858\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T13:54:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T13:54:09","slug":"who-qualified-for-the-2026-australian-open-atp-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/408858\/","title":{"rendered":"Who qualified for the 2026 Australian Open? | ATP Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian Open
\n Who qualified for the 2026 Australian Open? <\/p>\n

2025 Next Gen ATP Finals competitors Budkov Kjaer, Basavareddy & Jodar all qualify<\/p>\n

January 15, 2026<\/p>\n

\"Nicolai<\/p>\n

Corinne Dubreuil\/ATP Tour<\/p>\n

Nicolai Budkov Kjaer will make his main-draw debut at the 2026 Australian Open (file photo).
\n By ATP Staff<\/p>\n

A wave of rising talent secured places in the Australian Open main draw on Thursday, winning their final-round qualifying matches at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n

Norway\u2019s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, American Nishesh Basavareddy and Spain\u2019s Rafael Jodar \u2014 all of whom competed at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF \u2014 successfully navigated qualifying. They were joined by 19-year-old Rei Sakamoto, the 2024 Australian Open boys\u2019 champion.<\/p>\n

Budkov Kjaer, who describes fellow Norwegian Casper Ruud as a \u201cbig brother figure,\u201d defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2, 6-3 to earn his maiden main-draw appearance at a Grand Slam. Last year, the Norwegian claimed a Tour-leading four ATP Challenger titles before reaching the semi-finals in Jeddah.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re setting the bar good for the next generation,\u201d said Budkov Kjaer, who will join Jeddah champion Learner Tien in the main draw. \u201cI saw that four out of the eight that played Next Gen are through to the main draw. It\u2019s great to see us youngsters doing big stuff on the biggest stages. We are maybe a bit more hungry than the older ones, but it\u2019s great to see your friends doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n

You May Also Like: Budkov Kjaer: A \u2018sleepless night\u2019, sweet revenge & a dream run in Jeddah <\/a><\/p>\n

Jodar will also make his Grand Slam main-draw debut after advancing through qualifying on his first attempt. The Spaniard, who turned professional in December following two years at the University of Virginia, defeated former Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Luca Van Assche 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 on Thursday.<\/p>\n

View all of Thursday\u2019s results from Melbourne Park here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Sakamoto, who did not drop a set across his three qualifying matches, said: \u201cIn preseason, I made qualifying for the main draw a goal, so it feels good,\u201d said Sakamoto. \u201cI think the surface suits me pretty well. I like my serve to bounce higher and have an advantage with the serve, it makes it easier to build. I like the crowd and environment here, it makes me feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Basavareddy, now working with Daniil Medvedev’s former coach Gilles Cervara, will appear in a Grand Slam main draw for the third consecutive time. The 20-year-old showed resilience throughout qualifying, saving two match points to beat Sebastian Ofner in the second round before rallying past George Loffhagen 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cATP\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Alexander Blockx, a finalist in Jeddah and winner of last week\u2019s ATP Challenger in Canberra, entered the final qualifying round on a seven-match winning streak. However, the Belgian was forced to retire due to a back injury in the third set against Australia\u2019s Jason Kubler.<\/p>\n

Dane Sweeny was the only other Australian to advance through qualifying. The 24-year-old defeated Stefano Travaglia 7-6(6), 7-6(3) to reach the main draw of a major for the first time since the 2024 Australian Open.<\/p>\n

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