Australian Open: Gigi Salmon previews Melbourne Gr...

Sky Sports activities Tennis’ Gigi Salmon seems to be forward to the 2026 Australian Open, revealing her tricks to declare the titles and taking a look at every Brit’s attract her newest column.

I am scripting this 35,000 toes up en path to the Completely satisfied Slam that bought even happier this week when 29-year-old novice Jordan Smith (though he did as soon as have an ATP rating) gained the good one-point slam along with a life-changing cheque for A$1m.

He got here via a area of 48, taking out defending champion Jannik Sinner and two-time slam finalist Amanda Anisimova alongside the best way.

The Grand Slams are all the time on the lookout for methods to convey extra individuals via the gates in what’s now – for 3 of the 4 – ‘week 1’ of a three-week occasion on web site.

We noticed not too long ago on the US Open the revamped blended doubles occasion that topped the primary Grand Slam champions earlier than the primary draw had even begun. In Melbourne, the one-point slam offers ‘common’ individuals such as you and me the prospect to dream of taking to the courtroom in opposition to the world’s greatest.

I additionally felt it detracted, or relatively distracted from, the intense enterprise of qualifying as I discovered myself scrolling via social media to search out out who had made it to the showpiece stage of the occasion and the way everybody was doing, relatively than seeking to see how issues have been trying in qualifying!

After I land in Melbourne, I’ll have round 36 hours to shake off the jet lag, get my bearings and choose up my accreditation earlier than the primary draw begins on Sunday morning native time. An analogous turnaround to these gamers who’re within the latter phases of the pre-Slam occasions.

First honours of the 12 months have gone to Poland, headed up by world No 2 Iga Swiatek and the revived and again on tour once more Hubey Hurkacz, who gained the United Cup.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Daniil Medvedev – with title No 22 in a twenty second completely different metropolis – and Alexander Bublik, who by successful the title in Hong Kong additionally secured his place within the World’s high 10 for the primary time in his profession.

‘Sabalenka participant to beat, nobody is near Sinner and Alcaraz’

So what are a few of the questions that we’ve got going into the primary Grand Slam of 2026? Will Novak Djokovic win an eleventh Australian Open title and win a document twenty fifth Grand Slam singles title? Can Sabalenka choose up from the place she left off in 2025 successful the US Open? Will Iga Swiatek discover happiness and stability on the Completely satisfied Slam after a season of highs and lows?

The early indicators for Sabalenka are good, claiming her twenty second profession title and third in Brisbane.

The ladies’s occasion has much more jeopardy with extra contenders for the highest prize in a draw that has 11 Grand Slam champions, together with 5 earlier Australian Open champions. That is 5 gamers who know what it is wish to win the primary Grand Slam of the 12 months – expertise which is priceless.

I am nonetheless undecided on the function that Elena Rybakina goes to play, as too many instances I’ve tipped her for world domination just for her to exit with a whimper! Good good friend and Sky Sports activities Tennis commentator Naomi Cavaday has gone for Naomi Osaka to win her third AO title and first Grand Slam title since successful at Melbourne Park in 2021. It is not out of the query.

Osaka is relaxed, settled along with her group, has moved again to IMG – leaving the company Evolve she co-founded – and he or she is aware of what it is wish to win this title. I really feel I might proceed to put in writing down the names of gamers who’re within the combine, along with ones to look at and it might be a reasonably lengthy listing which is what makes the ladies’s competitors so intriguing, however with out query on these courts Sabalenka remains to be the participant to beat.

Again to Djokovic and his quest for historical past, he finds himself in Jannik Sinner’s half of the draw, and whereas his quarter on paper is not too unhealthy – with an excellent head-to-head in opposition to all of the seeds in his part – the actual fact he has no warm-up occasions in his legs and is again into the perfect of 5 units, it is as soon as once more going to be powerful and can proceed to be so.

Will anybody break up the Grand Slam successful duopoly of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz? The Italian begins because the two-time defending champion, whereas Alcaraz, with Juan Carlos Ferrero not by his aspect, is seeking to full the profession Grand Slam. Each, like Djokovic, open up their seasons at Melbourne Park.

I have not come throughout anyone who thinks that anybody outdoors of the highest two will win a significant this 12 months and perhaps subsequent 12 months too, as a result of they’re to this point forward of everybody else. The chasing pack, who can nonetheless nearly see them within the distance, do not have the idea that on the largest stage they will get the win!

‘Draw hasn’t been type for Brits in Melbourne’

British involvement sees 4 British ladies in the primary draw and three males, the identical numbers that we had a 12 months in the past however the draw hasn’t been overly type.

British No 1 Emma Raducanu will probably be seeking to bounce again from her early exit as the highest seed in Hobart to world No 204 Taylah Preston. Because the twenty eighth seed, she begins off in opposition to Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand -the present world No 194, who’s making her Grand Slam fundamental draw debut, however is slated to run into world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka as early because the third spherical.

Sonay Kartal faces the thirty first seed Anna Kalinskaya. Fran Jones has a very good first spherical draw up in opposition to qualifier and world No 141 Linda Klimovicova – making her Grand Slam fundamental draw debut – and Katie Boulter should have danced with delight when information got here via that she would not must navigate qualifying and was as an alternative instantly into the primary draw, that was till the draw was made and out popped tenth seed and United Cup finalist who beat Swiatek in that closing Belinda Bencic.

The British males are led by Cam Norrie, who because of a unbelievable backend to 2025, bought himself seeded for Australia and because the twenty sixth seed, he’ll face the Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who he has performed and misplaced to as soon as earlier than – the ultimate of Metz final 12 months.

Jacob Fearnley, who hasn’t had the begin to the 12 months he would have needed, has drawn tough Pole Kamil Majchrzak, who reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane. And congratulations to Arthur Fery qualifying for his first Australian Open, solely to attract the twentieth seed Flavio Cobolli.

In case you are simply getting again into sport after the Christmas holidays and getting again to work and kids again to high school, a reminder that Jack Draper felt he wasn’t fairly able to put his physique (and left arm) via greatest of 5 set battles and as an alternative, all being properly, he’ll make his return to motion for GB within the Davis Cup, away to Norway in February.

‘Sinner and Anisimova to elevate trophies’

Why does it imply a lot to gamers to take their place in a Grand Slam fundamental draw? Nicely, one superb motive is that the reward for getting on the beginning blocks in Melbourne is A$150,000 (£75,000) – that is up from A$132,000 final 12 months. The full prize cash has elevated by 16 per cent from 2025 and the singles winners will stroll away with A$4,150,000 (round £2.07m)

You may do not forget that final 12 months I targeted solely on overlaying the occasion for radio, having the 12 months earlier than been employed as ‘coach’ for former world no 5 Daniella Hantuchova, then promptly fired after lacking a 7am follow. This 12 months I did not realise that regardless of being 1000’s of miles away within the UK, I’ve already been employed and fired for lacking Dani’s exhibition occasion the Kooyong Basic, so I wait to see after I gather my accreditation if I’ve been rehired!

I’ve actually loved all the time watching the season get underway on Sky Sports activities Tennis and I’ll report again from Melbourne. I imagine the Sky Sports activities Tennis group’s predictions for who we expect will end within the respective ATP & WTA high 8s will make an look quickly, however when it comes to who walks away with Daphne and Norman in Melbourne I predicted in early December and can persist with what I stated then: your champions will probably be Jannik Sinner and Amanda Anisimova.

Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, reside on Sky Sports activities or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports activities clients entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this 12 months at no further value. Find out more here.