As the Australian Open, the year’s first major tennis tournament, kicks off, Canada is well-represented in both the men’s and women’s singles draws, with seven players set to compete at Melbourne Park. Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Gabriel Diallo, Victoria Mboko, and Leylah Annie Fernandez have all made the cut for direct entry into the tournament. Additionally, Marina Stakusic and Liam Draxl earned their spots by successfully navigating three rounds of qualifying.
Leading the Canadian contingent is Auger-Aliassime, who is seeded seventh and set to face Nuno Borges from Portugal in his first match. After a remarkable 2025 season that saw him achieve a career-high ranking of No. 5, he looks to continue his momentum, with a potential fourth-round clash against the formidable Daniil Medvedev awaiting him.
Shapovalov enters the tournament as the 21st seed, taking on Chinese wild card Yunchaokete Bu in his opening matchup. He could find himself pitted against Norway’s Casper Ruud in a highly anticipated third-round encounter.
Gabriel Diallo faces an uphill battle in his first round against the No. 3 seed, Alexander Zverev of Germany, while Draxl is eager to make his grand slam debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur.
In the women’s draw, 17th-seeded Mboko, making her Australian Open debut, is matched up against local wild card Emerson Jones. A successful outing could lead her to a challenging round of 16 against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Leylah Annie Fernandez, ranked 22nd, will face Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, with the possibility of a third-round meeting against defending champion Madison Keys looming on the horizon. Stakusic also gears up for her first Australian Open match against Australian wild card Priscilla Hon.
In women’s doubles, Gabriela Dabrowski, the reigning US Open champion, teams up with Brazilian Luisa Stefani, rekindling their partnership after parting ways with Erin Routliffe. The pair, previously successful together, is set to enter the tournament as the fifth seeds. Mboko and her partner Iva Jovic from the US, along with Fernandez and Hungary’s Timea Babos, are also expected to make a strong showing in the doubles draw, which will be announced on January 17.
Rob Shaw will represent Canada in the wheelchair tennis men’s quad division, having reached the quarterfinals in both 2023 and 2024 at this prestigious event.
Canadian talent continues to shine as Nadia Lagaev, aged 17 and currently ranked No. 28 in the ITF junior rankings, will compete in the girls’ singles main draw, further highlighting the depth of Canadian tennis prospects.
The anticipation surrounding these athletes reflects a hopeful outlook for Canadian tennis as they aim to make their mark at one of the sport’s premier events.