The start of the 2026 season has brought a wave of sponsorship shifts as players prepare for the Australian Open. Longtime partnerships have ended, new 360 deals are arriving and several brands are expanding their presence on tour.

Asics shared a tribute post marking the departure of world No. 6 Alex de Minaur, bringing an end to an 11-year partnership. Since then, the Aussie has been teasing a big reveal, wearing blank, logo-less shirts, shorts and hats during practice sessions and at the United Cup. While nothing has been officially confirmed, De Minaur is expected to join Wilson in a new 360 deal, according to Jessica Schiffer of Hard Court . He already competes with the Wilson Ultra racquet and could soon be outfitted head to toe in Wilson apparel and footwear.

Karen Khachanov, Anastasia Potapova and Jiri Lehecka have been wearing Wilson since the start of 2026. Jiri Lehecka, previously with Le Coq Sportif, and Karen Khachanov, who had been with Nike since 2019, have both expanded existing racquet deals into full 360 partnerships. Anastasia Potapova, another former Nike pro, is also set to join Wilson’s growing WTA roster, which includes Marta Kostyuk, Victoria Mboko and Peyton Stearns.

German rising star Eva Lys unveiled Lacoste as her new apparel sponsor and directed her own launch campaign. Nick Kyrgios, another longtime Nike wearer, has been sporting kits from Stack Athletics since November. He is now Stack’s owner and creative director and is helping shape design direction, capsule storytelling and athlete collaborations. “Stack represents everything I stand for—making noise and pushing boundaries… If it doesn’t make people feel something, I’m not interested,” said Nick Kyrgios. “Stack represents everything I stand for—making noise and pushing boundaries,” Kyrgios said. “We’re building a brand with real personality. If it doesn’t make people feel something, I’m not interested.”

Donna Vekic, who helped launch Donna Sport by Uomo in 2023, has signed with Ellesse. Alejandro Tabilo has parted ways with Lotto and is set to wear Ellesse this season; he will also take the court in On shoes, the Swiss brand said on social media.

FP Movement has teased a potential signing of world No. 15 Emma Navarro, previously with Fila; the move would make Navarro the highest-ranked player the brand has signed and reportedly includes a one-year Asics shoe agreement. “It’s really exciting to work with a brand that allows me to add my personal touch,” Navarro told Vogue Business. “I’ll be wearing outfits that I worked on designing—outfits that I’m really excited to wear and feel like myself in—and I’m excited for people to get a better sense of my style and personality through that.”

Fila has seen a series of recent departures, including Barbora Krejcikova, Reilly Opelka and Navarro, even as it added Jaqueline Cristian after her breakout 2025 season. Lois Boisson wore Asics during her Cinderella run to the Roland Garros semifinals as a wildcard ranked world No. 361.

The last day of Australian Open qualifying will settle both men’s and women’s lines into the 128-player main draws. Sixteen men and 16 women will finish the job when Thursday’s matches conclude.

There are several narratives worth watching. After missing the final three majors of the 2025 season with a foot injury, former semifinalist Sloane Stephens is attempting to win her way into the main draw. Playing in major qualifying for the first time since 2011 Wimbledon, the 2017 US Open champion is scheduled to meet No. 2 seed Lucia Bronzetti.

Stephens is one of 11 Americans trying to expand the U.S. presence in Melbourne. Among that group are Taylor Townsend, who reached the round of 16 at last year’s US Open, and two-time reigning NCAA champion Michael Zheng. Townsend faces wild card Storm Hunter in qualifying, while Zheng plays No. 28 seed Lukas Klein.

A cluster of rising men are also on the cusp. Four of the eight players from December’s Next Gen ATP Finals need one more victory to reach the main draw. Nishesh Basavareddy, 20, is among them; he took a set off Novak Djokovic in his major debut at Melbourne Park last year and reached his final-round match coming off a double match point save. Rafael Jodar, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and Dino Prizmic are the other Next Gen competitors a win away.

Coleman Wong arrives in qualifying having just reached his first ATP quarterfinal at his hometown event. He is part of a broader group of hopefuls aiming to convert form into a place in the main field.

Four Australian players with main-draw experience are unseeded in qualifying and due on court: wild card Storm Hunter, Maddison Inglis, Jason Kubler and Dane Sweeny. Each has navigated qualifying before and could again provide home interest in the opening rounds.

When Thursday finishes, those 32 winners will complete the Australian Open draws and set the stage for the tournament to begin.

The Australian Open’s 1 Point Slam exhibition turned into a memorable evening when amateur Jordan Smith claimed the A$1,000,000 prize at Rod Laver Arena. The Happy Slam event paired top professionals with Australian amateurs and celebrities in a fast, unpredictable format that produced early exits for many stars.

Emcee Rennae Stubbs summed up the mood after a surprise result when she said, “Everybody’s human!” following Coco Gauff’s fault that ended her participation. Several high-profile players were unable to convert their serves into wins: Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe and Gauff all failed to advance, and other notable names eliminated from contention included Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Alexander Zverev, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina and Nick Kyrgios. The ATP’s world No. 1 fell to Maria Sakkari after undercutting a drop shot.

Smith, representing the Castle Hill Tennis Club in New South Wales, defeated Joanna Garland in the final. Garland had lost her women’s singles qualifying opener on Monday but produced a run that reached the 1 Point Slam final. She eliminated Zverev, Kyrgios, Sakkari and Donna Vekic on her way to the title match.

After securing the prize, Smith said, “I can’t speak. It’s unbelievable.” The exhibition atmosphere was light-hearted at times: players and guests used rock, paper, scissors to decide who would serve and receive, and the evening featured moments of genuine celebration and surprise. Photographs from the event captured the mixture of levity and competitive spark, from immediate reactions to successful match points to shared laughs when amateurs produced highlight-worthy plays.

The second-year 1 Point Slam proved entertaining for the crowd and delivered an unexpected champion in Smith, who walked away with the substantial winner’s payout amid a cast of the sport’s most recognizable faces.