Venus Williams, Australian Open
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At last year’s Australian Open, Coco Gauff cruised into the quarterfinals, dropping just one set before a stunning straight-sets loss to Paula Badosa halted her title push. That upset ended her campaign before clashes with Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka ever arrived.
The 2026 Australian Open gets underway this weekend and the biggest stars in tennis are set to serve up competition after the draw was held.
The 2026 tennis Grand Slam season kicks off in January with the Australian Open. Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys will look to defend their titles in men's and women's singles, while Coco Gauff will vie for her first championship in the tournament.
Venus Williams fell in straight sets to Germany’s Tatjana Maria in a Hobart International clash that made history for the highest combined age in a WTA main-draw match at 84 years and one day. While the result came Tuesday in Australia,
Gauff and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka are in the top half while Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, and Jessica Pegula all landed in the same section.