Overview
- Italy places 11 players directly into the main draws—nine men and two women—with seeds for Jannik Sinner (No. 2), Lorenzo Musetti (No. 8), Flavio Cobolli (No. 21), Luciano Darderi (No. 25) and Jasmine Paolini (No. 8).
- Alcaraz heads the men’s list and Sabalenka tops the women’s, as Sinner returns as the two‑time defending champion seeking a rare third straight Australian Open title.
- Play begins with qualifying from January 12–15 before the 128‑player main draws start on Sunday, January 18 in Melbourne.
- Protected‑ranking entries include Shang Juncheng, Zhang Zhizhen, Emil Ruusuvuori and Thanasi Kokkinakis on the men’s side, with Karolina Pliskova, Wang Yafan and Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the women’s field.
- Sinner plans no lead‑up tournaments beyond an exhibition during Opening Week, Novak Djokovic enters as world No. 4 with 10 Melbourne titles, and Holger Rune is out as he rehabilitates a ruptured Achilles.