5 Southeast Asian tennis players competing at the 2026 Australian Open

Southeast Asian tennis has made significant progress in recent years.

At least five players from Southeast Asia will participate in the year's first Grand Slam — the 2026 Australian Open starting on January 18 at Melbourne Park, Australia.

In the women's singles, there are three Southeast Asian representatives: Alexandra Eala (Philippines), Janice Tjen (Indonesia), and Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Thailand).

Both Eala and Tjen, these young players, have shown remarkable improvement throughout 2025, finishing the season ranked within the world’s top 60, thus securing direct entry into the Australian Open main draw.

Meanwhile, Mananchaya will compete at this year's "Happy Slam" using a protected ranking granted to players who have been sidelined by long-term injuries. The Thai player had a promising start to 2025 before being forced to recover from injury, only returning to competition in November.

The other two regional representatives at the year's first Grand Slam are Aldila Sutjiadi (Indonesia) and Pruchya Isaro (Thailand). Sutjiadi is a regular presence in the top 60 doubles rankings and is well experienced on big stages, while Isaro earned his spot at Melbourne Park by winning the Asia-Pacific regional wildcard qualifying round.

Another Southeast Asian player currently competing in the women's singles qualifying rounds is Lanlana Tararudee. The Thai representative defeated Sofia Costoulas in the first qualifying round and will face a tough challenge against Harriet Dart on the afternoon of January 14 (Vietnam time). Lanlana must win three qualifying matches to enter the main draw.

In 2025, Aldila Sutjiadi withdrew from the Australian Open due to health issues, leaving Kasidit Samrej as the sole Southeast Asian participant. Although Kasidit exited in the first round, he made a strong impression by pushing Daniil Medvedev to a grueling five-set match before the Russian advanced.