The Australian Open continues to award wildcards to players ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Six wildcards had already been announced for the Australian Open, including the daughter of a four-time Grand Slam champion.
This still left 10 available slots, with there currently lots of speculation over whether Nick Kyrgios will get an Australian Open wildcard.
Kyrgios is yet to be announced for the Australian Open, but two players have been invited to compete in the main draw for the first time.
Two French players receive Australian Open wildcards
The Australian Open have eight available wildcards to give out for both the men’s and women’s singles main draws.
However, two of these wildcards have to be given to French players, as part of a reciprocal deal they have with the French Tennis Federation.
It has now been revealed who those wildcards are, with Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Kyrian Jacquet confirmed to compete at the Australian Open.
Who will be the biggest disappointment at the 2026 Australian Open?
Rakotomanga Rajaonah won her first WTA title in São Paulo earlier this year, and has climbed over 200 places in the world rankings this year.
Despite this, the Frenchwoman is still ranked outside the top 100 and is not able to get direct entry into Grand Slams yet.
The 20-year-old has only made one Grand Slam main draw appearance before, with Rakotomanga Rajaonah losing in the first round of Roland Garros last year.
It has also been a breakthrough season for Jacquet, who has won three Challenger titles, and reached his first quarterfinal on the ATP Tour in Metz.
This has enabled Jacquet to reach a career-high ranking of world number 137 this year, and he will now make his third main draw appearance at a Grand Slam, as he still seeks his first match victory.
Who was the last French player to win a Grand Slam title?
It has been a successful season for French tennis, with Lois Boisson reaching the Roland Garros semifinals, while Arthur Rinderknech finished as runner-up in Shanghai.
However, their wait for another Grand Slam singles champion has continued, with a French player last winning a major in 2013.
That player was Marion Bartoli, who beat Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon final over 12 years ago.
It has been even longer since a French man won a Grand Slam singles title, with Yannick Noah winning Roland Garros in 1983.
Who would be on your Mount Rushmore of tennis players?
The last French player to win the Australian Open singles title was in 1995, when Mary Pierce won the title.
The 2026 Australian Open will get underway on January 18, with Rinderknech and Boisson as the top ranked French players.
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