DECRYPTION – The first Grand Slam tournament of the season begins on Sunday in Melbourne, after two weeks of preparation tournaments. Some French players shone, while others worried.
The tennis season is definitely on. The Australian Open opens its doors to the best players in the world starting this Sunday. Alongside the big favorites which are the defending champion Jannik Sinner and the world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz, the French will be numerous on the courts of the first Grand Slam contested in 2026.
Despite the absences of Arthur Fils, packaged for the entire tour in Oceania, and Loïs Boisson, n°1 among girls with recurring physical problems since her tremendous epic at Roland Garros last season, 19 tricolors will be present in Australia. 16 of them – 13 men and 3 women – were in the cut published in December. Kyrian Jacquet and Sarah Rakotomanga both benefited from a wild card, offered as part of a reciprocal agreement between the French and Australian federations. Finally, Arthur Géa is the only French player out of qualifying, played this week. But have the Blues had a successful start to the year, before starting the first Major of the season?
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They are in good shape
After an end to the 2025 season marred by injuries, Ugo Humbert also lost his first match of the season in Brisbane, against Briton Cameron Norrie, by missing three match points. But this week, in Adelaide, the 27-year-old left-hander impressed. Messin qualified for the final, with only one set lost in four games and playing very convincingly. This bodes well for the man who will spearhead the Blues in Melbourne, where he must defend the points obtained last year after his round of 16 (defeat against Alexander Zverev). The draw, made on Thursday, did not spare him: he will face the American Ben Shelton (8th) from the start, for one of the shocks of the first round.
He too is having an interesting start to the season. After its emergence during the second half of the 2024 season, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard had difficulty confirming last year. But the 2m03 giant attacked the year 2026 on the right foot, with two quarter-finals in Brisbane and Auckland, for a total of four victories. The Frenchman put in some good performances (victories against Tommy Paul and Cameron Norrie) and won six of the seven tie-breaks he played. Opposed to Sebastian Baez in the first round of the Australian Open, the Lyonnais will be able to show off his power, particularly in serving, his main weapon, on the hard Australian court.
It is the beautiful story of the start of 2026. Arthur Géa21, will participate in his first Australian Open, after having managed to get out of qualifying, without losing a single set, in three matches played. A success which follows his 5 successes during the Nouméa Challenger, which he won last week. That makes 8 victories in as many matches for the man who has just entered the Top 200. He will face the Czech Jiri Lehecka (19th) in the first round in Melbourne, where he will be able to gain experience before the rest of the season.
They reassured (a little)
With eight matches already, he is the French player who has played the most on the ATP circuit so far. Quentin Halys85th in the world, managed to get out of qualifying in Brisbane and Adelaide, where he managed to pass a round each time, bringing his total to six successes, for two defeats. With a first round matchup against Alejandro Tabilo, he could have a shot in Australia.
He is the French number 1 in the ATP rankings and will be seeded at the Australian Open, where he will therefore have a new status to assume. Arthur Rinderknechauthor of a remarkable end to the 2025 season (final at the Shanghai Master 1000 and round of 16 at the US Open), participated in the United Cup with the French team last week. In two matches, the 26th player in the world spent almost seven hours on the courts, for a victory (against the Italian Flavio Cobolli) and a defeat (against the Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka). Physically, the Frenchman seems to be ready, even if he decided not to go to Adelaide in order to preserve himself for the Australian Open, where he will compete against the Hungarian Fábián Marozsán.
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They worry (a lot)
The start of the 2026 seasonAlexandre Müller has nothing to do with last year’s. Winner of the Hong Kong tournament in 2025 – his only ATP title so far – before the Australian Open, the 28-year-old this time lost in the second round in Asia, after a victory, against the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. His only success before his fourth participation in the big draw in Melbourne, where he will face the Australian Alexei Popyrin in the first round.
One year after his fine performance at the Australian Open (3rd round), which followed a remarkable end to the 2024 season (first ATP title won in Metz and two Challenger titles), Benjamin Bonzi is not going to approach the Australian Grand Slam with the same confidence. This season, the Frenchman has only played two matches, each time in qualifying for an ATP 250 (Brisbane then Adelaide), for two defeats. He will have his work cut out for him when he enters the fray against the No. 28 seed, Cameron Norrie.
For the girls, it’s a group shot. The three French women directly qualified for the Australian Open are having a very difficult start to the season. Selected to participate in the United Cup in singles, Léolia Jeanjean (103rd in the world) lost his two matches sharply. Same price for two other Blues: Elsa Jacquemotthe highest ranked Frenchwoman in Melbourne (59th) due to the absence of Loïs Boisson, was eliminated twice in the first round, in Brisbane (WTA 500) and Hobart; for his part, Varvara Grachevanaturalized in 2023, lost two WTA 250 tournaments in Auckland and Hobart. Not very reassuring performances, while complex first rounds – respectively against Maria Sakkari, Marta Kostyuk (20th) and Viktorija Golubic – await the French women in Melbourne.
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They (almost) didn’t play
Since his gesture which caused a lot of ink to flow in the Davis Cup against Belgium last November, Corentin Moutet was very discreet. The 26-year-old gave up playing the preparation tournaments before the Australian Open, withdrawing from Brisbane and Adelaide. But the left-hander should be fit for the first Grand Slam of the season, since he arrived in Melbourne a week ago and participated on Wednesday in the “One Point Slam”, an exhibition tournament which mixed professional players and amateurs. With his status as seed No. 32, the Frenchman inherited an affordable match in the first round of the Australian Open, against local Tristan Schoolgate.
He began the final season of his career in Auckland, a tournament he won at the start of last season. In the middle of a farewell tour, Gaël Monfilseighth finalist in Melbourne last year (defeat to Ben Shelton due to retirement), played a good match against Fábián Marozsán, even if he lost in the first round. For his 20th and last major draw at the Australian Open, the 39-year-old will want to have some fun. He will also face a local for his first match, qualifier Dane Sweeny. For one last show?
