The 2026 Brisbane International field is full of Grand Slam champions.
Six former major winners entered the Brisbane International, competing for the year’s first WTA 500 trophy.
Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, and Jelena Ostapenko all received byes into the second round, unlike the other two.
2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin won her opening match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to advance, but the sixth and final Grand Slam winner in the draw came up short.
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Losing a match that lasted well over three hours, the 2023 Wimbledon champion fell at the first hurdle in Brisbane.
Marketa Vondrousova fails to convert three match points in marathon defeat
Marketa Vondrousova didn’t have an easy time of things in 2025 due to injury, and was looking to put that behind her with a big win in Brisbane.
Taking on Poland’s Magdalena Frech, the former Wimbledon champ dropped the first set 7-5, but fought back, winning the second in a tiebreaker to force a decider.
Applying pressure to Frech in the third set, Vondrousova earned herself match points on the Pole’s serve at 5-6.
Unfortunately for Vondrousova, three match points came and went, as Frech survived.
Then, in the third-set tiebreaker, the Czech star fell apart and didn’t win a single point.
After three hours and 23 minutes, Vondrousova lost 5-7, 7-6 [7-3], 6-7 [0-7] to Frech.
Stats from Marketa Vondrousova vs Magdalena Frech
| Player | Aces | Double faults | 1st Serve % | Win % on 1st Serve | Win % on 2nd Serve | Break points |
| Marketa Vondrousova | 11 | 9 | 64% | 78% | 45% | 2/19 |
| Magdalena Frech | 1 | 4 | 62% | 66% | 57% | 3/16 |
Both players struggled to convert break points during the match, doing so just five times in 35 attempts.
Frech won’t mind, though, and will now look ahead to the second round, where she will play the number-nine seed, Linda Noskova.
Vondrousova, on the other hand, has some soul-searching to do before she returns to action.
When will Marketa Vondrousova return?
Using her protected ranking, Vondrousova is expected to compete at next week’s Adelaide International.
While not as strong as the Brisbane field, several big names have signed up for the event.
Top eight seeds at the 2026 Adelaide International
- 1. Jessica Pegula
- 2. Madison Keys
- 3. Mirra Andreeva
- 4. Ekaterina Alexandrova
- 5. Belinda Bencic
- 6. Linda Noskova
- 7. Clara Tauson
- 8. Emma Navarro
Vondrousova will want to make a statement in Adelaide before travelling to the Australian Open.
The Australian Open is statistically Vondrousova’s worst Grand Slam event, having only won 56% of her matches Down Under.
Marketa Vondrousova’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Latest performance | Win-Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | 4R – 2021 | 1R – 2024 | 9-7 | 56% |
| French Open | F – 2019 | 3R – 2025 | 17-8 | 68% |
| Wimbledon | W – 2023 | 2R – 2025 | 9-6 | 60% |
| US Open | QF – 2023, 2025 | QF – 2025 | 13-5 | 72% |
On her last visit to Melbourne, Vondrousova lost to Dayana Yastremska in the first round, winning just three games in a 6-1, 6-2 defeat.
The Czech star was bitterly disappointed with her performance and said the following to Czech media outlet ‘Idnes‘ after the match.
“I didn’t get off to the best start. I immediately lost my serve. I didn’t play well, but she didn’t give me many chances either. She played great, and she deserves credit. I have to take this defeat and move on,” she said.
She’ll certainly hope for a better showing in 2026…
At her best, Vondrousova is world-class, as evidenced by her run to the Wimbledon title three years ago.
Who will win the 2026 Australian Open?
If she can find that level at the Australian Open, she could well give the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Sabalenka a run for their money.
Only time will tell if Vondrousova can find her best tennis in Melbourne.
The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 18.
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