The unseeded player who could test Jannik Sinner early in the Australian Open
Jannik Sinner entered the 2026 Australian Open among the favourites, having claimed four of the past eight Grand Slam titles.
The world number two has enjoyed plenty of success in Melbourne, coming into this year’s event as a back-to-back champion.
Sinner, who always seems to raise his level at this tournament, will kick off his title defence against Hugo Gaston.
While there are no top-10 seeds in Sinner’s early section of the draw, there is one unseeded player who could present a real challenge for him later on.
Baez finds early season momentum as Sinner looms in Australian Open draw
Sebastian Baez has enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 season, entering the Australian Open with a 7-0 record that includes wins over players such as Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.
Although his career-high ranking of world number 11 came two years ago, Baez has shown in recent tournaments that he’s playing some of his best tennis again. His current run began at the United Cup and carried through to the ASB Classic.
Baez is set to play Jakub Mensik in the final of the Auckland event before heading into Melbourne, where he won’t face a seeded player until at least the third round.
With several matches already under his belt this season, Baez could pose an early test for Sinner if they meet as expected in the fourth round.
Baez looks strong heading into 2026 Australian Open
Baez has always been a solid player on the ATP Tour and he’s impressively lifted seven trophies throughout his career, but his hard court form is nothing short of a revelation.
The Argentine posted only three wins on the surface in 2025, a mark he equaled at the United Cup to start this year’s campaign.
The offseason work has clearly paid off, and Baez’s recent results suggest he could become as effective on hard courts as he has been on clay.
So far, Baez’s only title on the surface came at the Winston-Salem Open in 2023. But with how things are shaping up, he might be closing in on another one soon. He’s also looking like a potential surprise contender at Melbourne Park.
