What did the first major of the year show? AfroPari breaks down how Australian Open shapes tennis season
The 2026 Australian Open, the 114th iteration of the tournament, raised some eyebrows about this order from day one. Despite there being a relatively even draw, many of the pre-tournament favorites were quickly out of the competition: 2025 champions Madison Keys and Jannik Sinner did not make it to the final. This was the first indication- a hint that the 2026 season will not count on former accomplishments.
Magic of numbers and records at AO 2026
The tournament challenged orthodoxy from day one and at the same time established a number of firsts:
Centurion: Djokovic scored his 100th win in Melbourne, beating Pedro Martínez in the first round. He also became the first with 100+ victories at all 3 other Grand Slams, Australian, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Marathon clash: The 5 hour and 27 minute semifinal fight between Alcaraz and Zverev made the longest semifinal in the history of the tournament and the 3rd longest match in Australian Open history.
Agelessness: At 38, jokovic makes history as the oldest Australian Open finalist. It was also his 38th such final at Grand Slam tournaments, a tennis record.
Other than the records, the Australian Open 2026 will be recalled for the human side of the event that mainly determined the outcome.
Lorenzo Musetti’s injury
The Italian was one step away from a huge upset, dominating the quarterfinal match against Djokovic 6-4, 6-3. But at 1-3 in the third set he suffered a tear in one of his thigh muscles and was forced to retire. His tearful departure from the court after being forced to withdraw while handily ahead was the primary drama in the men’s draw.
Stan Wawrinka’s farewell
The three-time Grand Slam winner finished his Australian story where it had all begun for him, at the site where he won his first title, in 2014. Stan proved he can still hit a mean backhand at 40 and is the oldest player to reach R3 in ages. The legend received a standing ovation in the stadium.
Unexpected finals
In the women’s draw, pundits leaned towards the Sabalenka-Świątek pairing. The fifth name in the odds, Elena Rybakina, was never taken seriously. Following years of dismal performance and several early retirements in 2024, she was left for dead by most. Her victory in the 2025 Finals, but, confirmed that Elena hadn’t just returned, but that she was back.
In the final against Aryna Sabalenka, Rybakina’s winning odds were no greater than 45%. She came back from 0-3 in the third set, broke her opponent’s serve two times in a row and won the match 6-4 4-6 6-4. This win in Melbourne proved that Elena was out of her slump and established her as the most dangerous force on tour.
The most characteristic generational clash in the men’s final was that Alcaraz (22) and Djokovic (38) played with a 16 year- difference. Though Novak won the first set with confidence 6-2, Carlos was able to take the following three sets. With this win he became the youngest to date in the Open Era to take titles in all four majors, thus achieving a Career Grand Slam on three different surfaces.
Key lessons from Australian Open 2026
AO 2026 was also the first Grand Slam of the season and the one that established the new order. On the men’s side there’s a clear new co- domination as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are above the rest of the field.
The Melbourne tournament also signaled the death of the passive: “long rallies” were, in the heat, winning those who dictated from the start. The reason was the ability to dominate through Serve + 1, which is to focus on a strong serve + an aggressive first shot in order to control the point and conserve energy for the critical moments of the match.
These two should now be placed on opposite halves of the draw at future majors because it’s only a matter of time before they meet in the final. While Djokovic is still a juggernaut, it is the 24th, not the 25th, title that is his “ceiling” now. The Serbian’s intention is to keep winning in New York and be the only player ever to achieve a “golden one hundred” at the four majors.
The one-star era in women’s tennis is over. While Aryna Sabalenka remains #1, she has shown that she is vulnerable in finals against the underdogs. With Iga Swiatek fading, Elena Rybakina is the main powerhouse of the season, and given her winning streak of 2025 Finals and Melbourne she is the player to beat in any tournament. The WTA is unpredictable though – so at Wimbledon we can expect to see Gauff, Pegula or Anisimova challenging the best players.
The biggest betting insight from the contest was the “mental armor” that new champions possess. Alcaraz later in the final versus Djokoviv and Rybakina in the final set of her match versus Sabalenka demonstrated that nowadays the winners are not the ones that don’t make mistakes but the ones that are able to instantaneously “reset” after making mistakes. In the end it is that potential of coming back against living legends that sealed the generational shift.
The AO is done, but the clay wars in Paris, the green grass of London’s courts, and the hard courts of the US Open loom ahead. Keep covering world tennis and supporting your bets with the analysis of AfroPari!
