Not Alcaraz-Sinner-Djokovic, this is the player facing the toughest challenge at the 2026 Australian Open

The number one hope of the home nation ends up in an extremely demanding section of the draw.

Alex de Minaur will have to enter the 2026 Australian Open with a huge challenge right from the start, after the draw at Melbourne Park placed him in the tournament’s “death bracket.”

Ranked 6th in the world and the highest seed from Australia in the men’s singles, de Minaur arrives at his home Grand Slam following a brilliant 2025 season. However, he has almost no warm-up time at the first tournament of the new year as he must face Matteo Berrettini - the former Wimbledon finalist, who plays a powerful game and is always dangerous on hard courts right from the opening match.

Head-to-head statistics favor Berrettini 3-2, but de Minaur’s advantage is that both of his wins against the Italian came on hard courts. Still, this match is expected to be very intense, forcing the "Demon" to start strong if he wants to avoid an early stumble on home soil.

If he gets past Berrettini, de Minaur will face Mariano Navone (world No. 74) or Hamad Medjedovic (world No. 96) in round two, before the chance to meet 29th seed Frances Tiafoe in round three. But the real challenges may lie further ahead.

According to the draw, de Minaur could meet Alexander Bublik - the world No. 10 currently in excellent form - in the fourth round. More threateningly, his path is likely to be blocked by Carlos Alcaraz - the world No. 1 - if both reach the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, in other notable matches, Novak Djokovic will face Pedro Martinez in the first round. Alexander Zverev opens against Gabriel Diallo, while Jannik Sinner is expected to have a smooth start against Hugo Gaston but might face young talent Joao Fonseca in round three. Overall, the draw for the Australian Open contenders looks relatively favorable, ensuring these stars can comfortably reach the quarterfinals if they play at their best.

The 2026 Australian Open will officially start on January 18. The host country, Australia, contributes 21 players in the men’s and women’s singles events.