The ‘Happy Slam,’ as the Australian Open is known, must be an especially happy place for those competing in the main draw for the first time.
Let’s get to know more about 10 of the first-timers at AO 2026, starting with five women making their Melbourne Park debuts, and finishing with five men.
Victoria Mboko
Victoria Mboko and Mirra Andreeva competed in a rare all-teen final in Adelaide on Saturday. Despite losing, the Canadian is getting closer to joining Andreeva inside the top 10.
MORE: AO 2026 women's singles draw
Who would have predicted that 12 months ago, when Mboko’s ranking hovered around the 300 mark? If a 22-match winning streak at lower levels in 2025 caught the eye of diehard tennis fans, triumphing at a WTA 1000 at home last August thrust the 19-year-old into the global spotlight.
In the very short term, how will Mboko cope with the quick turnaround from Adelaide and battling another talented teen in the first round, Gold Coast’s Emerson Jones?
Janice Tjen
Along with Mboko and French Open semifinalist Lois Boisson, Janice Tjen skyrocketed in the rankings last year – about 250 spots. But without the advice from her coaches at Pepperdine University in California, the Indonesian might have never turned pro.
Keen to mix up the pace and head to the net, it is no surprise that Queensland’s three-time Grand Slam winner, Ash Barty, is her idol.
“I would watch a little bit of her matches and try to copy what works for me … and just (try) to understand her game a little bit more,” Tjen told the WTA last August.
Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah
Tjen reached her first WTA final in Sao Paulo last September, losing to … France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah. The smooth-hitting lefty only made her WTA debut months earlier.
Rakotomanga Rajaonah – born in Madagascar – admired both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal when growing up. “I wanted my game to be clear and to have the class of Federer and the attitude of Nadal,” the 20-year-old told the WTA in December.
She might need a blend of Federer and Nadal on Sunday, as the reciprocal wildcard plays world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales
On her sixth try, Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales this week successfully qualified for a major – barely. The 26-year-old Spaniard saved four match points in the second round of qualifying.
Years ago, a shoulder injury stunted her progress, leading to doubts about whether she could continue playing tennis.
“I went through some difficult times, both me and my team, and I'm very happy to have overcome them,” the world No.184 told MARCA.
Her faith helped. Wherever Maristany Zuleta de Reales competes around the world, she tries to attend mass on the weekend.
Solana Sierra
Solana Sierra achieved a rare double at Wimbledon in 2025, becoming the first female lucky loser in the Open Era to reach the fourth round at SW19 and the first Argentinian woman to get that far in 21 years.
With her ranking improving, Sierra earned the No.1 women’s spot for her nation at the United Cup in January and produced a win against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, though found it much tougher against Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic and Grand Slam champ Coco Gauff.
Rafael Jodar
Rafael Jodar cut short his stay at the University of Virginia to turn pro. You can understand why. He began 2025 ranked 896th and ended at 168th, an astounding ascent that saw the 19-year-old land a spot (albeit with two withdrawals) at the Next Gen Finals.
MORE: AO 2026 men's singles draw
Once there, he played in front of his idol, Rafael Nadal.
In his first qualifying campaign at a major, Jodar dropped just one set in three matches at Melbourne Park. He told Spanish radio station El Partidazo de COPE he recently trained with the current Spanish behemoth, Carlos Alcaraz.
Raphael Collignon
Another “Rapha.” This one, Raphael Collignon, is a Belgian who also idolised Nadal. Like the 22-time Grand Slam winner, Collignon – whose dad is a brain surgeon – combines attack with counterpunching.
Collignon upset Casper Ruud at the US Open and starred for Belgium weeks later during its upset win over Australia in the Davis Cup in Sydney, defying cramps to upend Alex de Minaur.
Victories have since followed against the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Denis Shapovalov and Grigor Dimitrov, so first-round opponent Lorenzo Musetti will have to be on high alert.
Liam Draxl
Liam Draxl participates in his maiden Grand Slam main draw after downing Slam veteran Mackenzie McDonald in the final round of qualifying. The Canadian benefited from some luck – McDonald couldn’t serve out the match in the second set – but a Slam appearance has been coming for the former NCAA standout. He made seven Challenger finals in 2025.
Besides his game, Draxl is box-office for his celebrations and on-court antics. “For sure, I’ll definitely admit I’ve gone overboard in the past, especially in the college days,” he told the Changeover Podcast.
“But I feel like more so recently, I try to just pump myself up. I don’t believe it’s directed at my opponent.”
His opponent in the first round, Damir Dzumhur, is fiery at times, too.
Eliot Spizzirri
Eliot Spizzirri also honed his craft in the US college system, flourishing at the University of Texas. He hails from a sporting family, with twin brother Nicholas a world-class squash player.
He only played nine top-flight matches in 2025, but the 24-year-old is already known for being an excellent competitor who can redirect pace with aplomb.
His current form – earning a quarterfinal spot in Auckland this week – combined with the recent inactivity of prodigy Joao Fonseca means that their first-round encounter could be far from straightforward for the Brazilian powerhouse.
Emilio Nava
Emilio Nava is no Grand Slam rookie, already competing in six majors. Fans might recall the 2022 US Open, when the Californian outslugged Andy Murray in a bruising first set before wilting in four.
That contest suggested big things were on the way – and soon – but Nava had to wait until last September to break the top 100.
The 24-year-old can wallop the serve, finish at the net and slide like Alcaraz, a former practice partner in Spain.