The 2026 Australian Open men’s draw, revealed Thursday, set up a notable path through the top half of the field and across the bottom. Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic was placed as the No. 4 seed in the third quarter, positioning him as a projected semifinal opponent for defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Sinner arrives at the tournament bidding for a third consecutive Australian Open crown. He captured his first major title at this event in 2024 and will open his title defense against France’s Hugo Gaston. Seeded directly behind world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner’s early section also lists Brazilian Joao Fonseca as his first projected seeded opponent in the third round.

If the seeding holds, American Ben Shelton is slated to meet Sinner in the quarterfinals. That potential quarterfinal pairing reinforces the stacked nature of Sinner’s quarter and the wider implications for the semifinals, where Djokovic’s placement makes for a high-profile projected clash.

Carlos Alcaraz’s position at the top of the draw leaves the defending champion and Djokovic on a collision course in opposite halves until the advanced rounds. The alignment of seeds creates a clear narrative for the tournament: a top seed carrying expectations at the summit, a defending champion aiming for a three-peat, and a multiple-time winner navigating a draw that could pitch him against the current titleholder before the final.

With the draw now public, attention will turn to early matches and how the projected matchups materialize on court. For Sinner, Gaston represents the immediate test. For Djokovic, the third quarter presents a pathway that, if both players advance as seeded, would culminate in a semifinal meeting with the defending champion.

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.