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The 2026 Australian Open kicked off in Melbourne on Sunday, with Aryna Sabalenka advancing comfortably while tennis icon Venus Williams made history as the oldest woman to compete in singles during the Open Era before falling in her first match.
When Sabalenka was starstruck and relatable asking for that 🤳@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/84iX3QwDN5
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2026
Sporting the Nike Spring Slam Dress inspired by Serena Williams’ and Maria Sharapova’s iconic looks, the top-seeded Sabalenka struggled to find her rhythm early but ultimately prevailed against wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, 6-4 6-1, at Rod Laver Arena. After breaking her opponent’s serve to close out the first set, Sabalenka seized control early in the second, quickly building a 3–0 lead. Her power proved overwhelming, as Rakotomanga Rajaonah repeatedly mishit returns into the net or long. Watched by tennis legends Roger Federer and Rod Laver, Sabalenka then closed out the match by winning three of the final four games, finishing the contest in 1 hour and 17 minutes.
Sabalenka will now face Zhuoxuan Bai in the second round. The Chinese qualifier, ranked No. 702 while returning from injury and competing in her first Grand Slam main draw since Wimbledon 2024, saved a match point in a dramatic super-tiebreak to defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 2-6 7-6(10).
Guess who’s back. Back again. 😎
28 years after making her #AusOpen debut, Venus Williams returns to Melbourne Park. pic.twitter.com/KEORkY6Fd6
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 17, 2026
Williams, 45, made history as the oldest player to compete in the women’s singles at the tournament during the Open Era after accepting a wildcard into the main draw. However, her campaign was short-lived, as she fell to Olga Danilovic 7-6(5) 3-6 4-6 in the opening round.
The American—who was just 17 when she made her Australian Open debut in 1998, three years before her first-round opponent Danilovic was born—appeared on course for her first Grand Slam singles victory since Wimbledon 2021 after racing to a double-break 4-0 lead in the deciding set, only to see the match slip away as she lost the final six games in succession.
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