Australian tennis fans will see local favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis return to Melbourne Park at the Australian Open 2026, entering the men’s singles draw using a protected ranking.
Kokkinakis joins Chinese stars Shang Juncheng and Zhang Zhizhen, and Finn Emil Ruusuvuori in this category.
The tournament will feature 99 of the world’s top-100 men and 98 of the top-100 women, led by world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and two-time AO champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Notable absentees include world No.15 Holger Rune and former champions such as Danielle Collins and Ons Jabeur.
Australian Alex de Minaur, world No.7, leads the local men’s contingent, while world No.32 Maya Joint heads the Australian women’s field.
The 128-player singles draws will be completed by eight wildcards and 16 qualifiers, with qualifying matches held 12-15 January at Melbourne Park.
