Top players halted in the first round; Grand Slam qualifiers are truly tough!

The first round of the 2026 Australian Open men’s and women’s singles qualifying matches has finished. As one of the four annual Grand Slam events, the Australian Open, as the opening major tournament of the season, naturally draws numerous top competitors. It is also the best opportunity to test the fruits of all players’ winter training.

So, after the first round of qualifying, which familiar players have been knocked out? Let’s take a closer look!

First, let’s focus on the performance of Chinese players in the first qualifying round. This year, eight Chinese players competed in the men’s and women’s singles qualifiers at the Australian Open. After the first round, five advanced, while the Chinese players eliminated early were Guo Hanyu, Wei Sijia, and Gao Xinyu.

Wei Sijia had to retire due to a recurring back injury when the score was 6-4, 2-6, 2-3 against Kaliyyeva, who then went on to defeat another Chinese player, Ma Yexin, in the second round. Guo Hanyu was defeated in straight sets by Shalkova, ending her first Grand Slam singles campaign prematurely.

In contrast, Gao Xinyu’s exit was even more regrettable. She battled Tagger for three full sets in a match that lasted nearly three hours, but was ultimately overturned by her 17-year-old opponent and failed to advance.

Besides these three Chinese players who were eliminated, other notable female players who exited in the first round of women’s singles qualifying include: Meladnovich, Ruse, Sherif, Lepchenko, Pera, Eina Chaihara, Rodionova, Timofeeva, Kava, Brengle, Hibino Nao, Parry, Joo Yeon-woo, Fredsam, and Sevastova.

On the men’s side, players who lost in the first round of qualifying include Baslashvili, Mangan Yosuke, Hewitt, Evans, Cecchinato, Zeng Junxin, Habib, Xu Yuxiu, Tu Chenli, and Jarry. This list mostly consists of players well known to fans.

As the qualifying rounds continue, the main draw of the Australian Open is approaching. This year, the singles main draw will be announced tomorrow at 11:30 AM Beijing time, and the doubles draw will be revealed at noon on January 17. Aside from the few Chinese players still competing in qualifying, five Chinese players have already secured spots in the main draw: Wang Xinyu, Zhang Shuai, Shang Juncheng, Zhang Zhizhen, and Bu Yunchaokete.

Among these players, Wang Xinyu holds the highest world ranking. After finishing as runner-up in Auckland last week, she quickly moved on to Hobart to compete in both singles and doubles, advancing through the first round of Hobart’s singles yesterday. Undoubtedly, she is currently in excellent form. So, who do you think will go the furthest among the Chinese players at this year’s Australian Open?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)