2026 Australian Open | Men’s Day 1 (Sunday) Tips & Preview

The world number 1’s quest to complete the career Grand Slam begins against Australia’s Alex Walton. The pair met in the opening round of Queen’s last year with Alcaraz prevailing 6-4 7-6 but this is not grass so Walton will have to work significantly harder to hold serve. Walton has been on the wrong end of a string of heavy defeats in the last few months including a 6-3 6-2 loss to countryman Rinky Hijikata in Brisbane a fortnight ago. He was broken 4 times in two sets so we can confidently say that the Spaniard will accumulate 5+ breaks. Want to be on him to cover the games handicap.

Zverev put on a serving clinic on his way to making the final las year but it would amount to nothing in the final against Sinner as he was unable to generate a single break point opportunity. He has made the quarter finals or better in 4 of his last 6 appearances in Melbourne but has rarely been completely dominant in the early rounds. There has been at least one tiebreaker in 12 of his last 16 Australian Open matches and on that alone we will be backing the Overs in this match. Diallo is a man mountain himself and has made it through the first round at the last 5 majors. Expecting very few breaks of serve and multiple tiebreakers.

Has Bublik finally turned a corner and can he be trusted at the Grand Slams??? He is fresh off a title winning run in Hong Kong but history suggests that he will fail to deliver at the first major of the season. Bublik has been knocked out in the first round in each of the last three years here and Brooksby shapes as a tricky opening opponent. The American won their only prior encounter on a hard court in Montreal in 2022 and his unpredictable playing style could bring the worst out of Bublik. The smart money will be on Brooksby with the start and for the outright win.

There was no wildcard for Aussie Jason Kubler but to his credit, he made it through the qualifying process with relative ease. A matchup against Tiafoe is hardly a reward, especially when he enters the match having lost all three prior battles against the American. Tiafoe has won all 7 sets that the pair have contested and despite some patchy form in the second half of last year, he has progressed to the 2nd round here in each of his last five appearances.