The 2026 Australian Open has already seen something significant happen at the tournament before the main draw has even begun.
History could be made at the Melbourne major this year, as Carlos Alcaraz looks to win the Australian Open for the first time and become the youngest man in history to complete the Calendar Slam.
Two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner will likely have something to say about that, as both the Italian and Alcaraz look to continue dominating men’s tennis.
While in the women’s singles draw, Madison Keys will be the defending Australian Open champion, and the WTA player who beat her in the 2017 US Open final has just won her first match since 2024 in Melbourne.
Sloane Stephens ends her losing streak at the Australian Open
Sloane Stephens, who won the US Open in 2017, has undergone many struggles on and away from the tennis court in the last two years.
The former world number three played just five matches in 2025, with Stephens struggling with a foot injury.
Injury was not the only thing troubling Stephens, who was also on a 12-match losing streak coming into the 2026 season.
Stephens lost her 13th consecutive match at the ASB Classic last week, and had not won a match since her first round win at Wimbledon in 2024.
| Tournament | Result |
| Wimbledon 2024 (2R) | Diana Shnaider beat Stephens, 6-1 6-1 |
| Washington Open 2024 (1R) | Amanda Anisimova beat Stephens, 6-3 7-5 |
| Canadian Open 2024 (1R) | Greet Minnen beat Stephens, 6-2 6-2 |
| US Open 2024 (1R) | Clara Burel beat Stephens, 0-6 7-5 7-5 |
| Guadalajara Open 2024 (1R) | Olivia Gadecki beat Stephens, 6-4 6-3 |
| Korea Open 2024 (1R) | Hailey Baptiste beat Stephens, 7-6(4) 6-2 |
| Auckland Open 2025 (1R) | Ann Li beat Stephens, 5-7 6-4 6-4 |
| Hobart International 2025 (1R) | Ann Li beat Stephens, 7-5 6-1 |
| Australian Open 2025 (1R) | Aryna Sabalenka beat Stephens, 6-3 6-2 |
| Merida Open 2025 (1R) | Petra Martic beat Stephens, 6-2 6-3 |
| Guadalajara Open 2025 (1R) | Lucrezia Stefanini beat Stephens, 6-4 4-6 6-1 |
| Abierto Tampico 2025 (1R) | Sahaja Yamalapalli beat Stephens, 6-2 6-2 |
| ASB Classic 2026 (1R) | Renata Zarazua beat Stephens, 7-5 4-6 6-2 |
As a result of her poor form and fitness, Stephens had fallen outside the top 1000 in the WTA rankings.
Despite this, Stephens was able to enter Australian Open qualifying using her protected ranking, marking her first appearance in the qualifying draw at a Grand Slam since 2014.
Although this is not something she is used to, Stephens was able to beat Barbora Palicova, 6-1 7-5, to end her 13-match losing streak.
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Sloane Stephens vs Olivia Gadecki Head-to-Head
Now that Stephens has stopped her losing run, she will now switch her attention to her second round qualifying match against Australian player Olivia Gadecki.
Gadecki is a former top 100 singles player and is the reigning Australian Open mixed doubles champion, but after winning just one WTA main tour match last year she fell down the rankings.
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This will be a fourth meeting between the two players, with Gadecki actually leading the head-to-head against Stephens after winning their last two matches.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2024 | Australian Open (R1) | Stephens beat Gadecki, 6-3 6-1 |
| 2024 | Trophée Clarins (R1) | Gadecki beat Stephens, 6-1 3-2 (Stephens retired) |
| 2024 | Guadalajara Open (R1) | Gadecki beat Stephens, 6-4 6-3 |
While this may give Gadecki bragging rights ahead of their upcoming match, Stephens may be encouraged by the fact that she won their match at the Australian Open in 2024.
Stephens will look to continue her resurgence when she plays Gadecki in the second round of Australian Open qualifying on Wednesday, January 14.
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