2026 Australian Open: Han Tianyu and Tsuchikata Rinki Secure Main Draw Wildcards, Serena and Azarenka May Miss Out

On December 22nd Beijing time, the Australian Open officially announced a batch of wildcards for the men’s and women’s singles main draws, including four local talents: Han Tianyu, Tsuchikata Rinki, Gibson, and Preston.

Han Tianyu

Han Tianyu has made significant progress this season, winning five consecutive matches from the qualifiers to reach the US Open’s main draw Round of 32 for the first time in his career; he then secured four straight wins at the China Open, also reaching the last 32. His world ranking broke into the top 100 for the first time in October, but subsequent injuries stalled further advancement. Currently ranked No.119, Han relies on a wildcard to enter the home Grand Slam event.

“I sincerely thank Tennis Australia for granting me this wildcard. I pushed my body to the limit trying to qualify without one, but I’m very grateful for the ongoing support from the Australian Open. Representing Australia on the court fills me with pride, and I can’t wait to see how far I can go!”

Tsuchikata Rinki

Tsuchikata Rinki was the 2023 Australian Open men’s doubles champion and returned to a Grand Slam men’s doubles final at Wimbledon in 2025. In singles, he is currently ranked No.114, having reached the fourth round of the 2023 US Open. This will mark his fourth consecutive year competing in the Australian Open men’s singles main draw.

“I’m extremely thankful for another chance to compete in the Australian Open main draw. There’s nothing better than playing in a home Grand Slam, and Melbourne holds many of my fondest memories. I’m eager to experience the electric atmosphere of the January tournament,” Tsuchikata said.

The other two wildcard spots went to Gibson and Preston. Along with exchanged wildcards from the US Open and French Open, Asia-Pacific regional playoff champions, and Australian points series winners, there remain only four singles main draw wildcards (three men’s, one women’s) yet to be announced for the 2026 Australian Open.

(Text and editing by Dato, photos courtesy of Visual China)