Australian Open 2024: Spaniards in First Round – ATP Tour

Australian Open

This is how the eight Spaniards face the first round of the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz heads the list of La Armada representatives in Melbourne

January 17, 2026

Eight Spaniards in the main draw of the Australian Open. It is not a minor headline: it is a photo of depth, continuity and also generational contrast. From the specific weight of a natural candidate for everything to the vertigo of those who land in Melbourne looking, above all, for a great first night.

Because in Australia there is always an extra nuance: the heat, the speed of the court, the need to manage long matches without giving away stretches of disconnection. And there, each of the Spaniards arrives with a different label. Some with obligation; others with the opportunity. All, with an initial crossing that sets the tone from the first blow.

Carlos Alcaraz

With the very present option of closing the Grand Slam, and becoming the youngest ever to do so, the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings debuts against Adam Walton with the favorite poster and with a context that always weighs in Melbourne: that of the matches that ‘must be won’ without the body or the head getting hooked on saving mode. For him, the key is usually less in the opponent than in the script itself: starting by commanding with the serve and, above all, imposing height and speed of the ball with the forehand so that the exchange does not become a game of patience without reward. If he finds a rhythm with the rest soon, the game should go on the fast track; If you get tangled, Australia punishes minutes of disconnection more than anywhere else.

Alexander Davidovich

He has just finished the year with the best ranking ever in his career (14) and has started the year with the semifinals in Adelaide. The crossing with Filip Misolic, however, appears as a trap. The second best Spaniard in the classification lives a lot of what he generates with his legs, changes of direction and that electricity that makes him extremely dangerous when he steps on the court aggressively from the first game. The point is to sustain it without excess error, something especially important in these fast conditions. If you manage to gain meters forward you can avoid the type of encounter that bothers you the most: long exchanges where the margin narrows and emergencies appear.

Jaume Munar

In 2025 he had the best season of his career and 2026 appears as a year to continue adding. Against Dalibor Svrcina, the challenge of starting to take steps forward appears as an interesting opportunity in the first Grand Slam of the year, where the Mallorcan lost last year to the first against Casper Ruud.

Pedro Martinez

It’s Novak Djokovic’s turn, and that puts you directly in the biggest showcase and, at the same time, in the most unpleasant exam: the opponent who gives you the least, the one who best detects your patterns, the one who forces you to win the point several times. For Martínez, who ended the year with a fundamental role in the Davis Cup, the opportunity is enormous: he will play against the Serbian in the Rod Laver Arena in a match that will force him to give his best version to stand up to Djokovic.

Roberto Bautista Agut

With Juncheng Shang, the duel reads like a clash of trade against youth: Bautista has the experience to understand which buttons to press in a first round of Grand Slam and the tennis to make anyone uncomfortable if he enters with weak legs. On fast courts, his pattern becomes even more useful: take time, deny angles, make the opponent play an extra shot. Physical management is the nuance: you need an efficient match, without a marathon, and for that it is key to dominate with the first serve and not let the exchange become a display of power on the other side.

Pablo Carreno Busta

Jakub Mensik dominates the Lexus ATP Head2Head series 2-0 against Pablo Carreño, who faces one of the most dangerous players on the circuit in the first round of the Australian Open, pure power and strength. However, if the Spaniard manages to take the game to a stage of decision-making (and not just power), his experience is worth gold.

Carlos Taberner

Lorenzo Sonego is an uncomfortable opponent in Australia: intensity, venomous serve, high pace and ability to move well in close matches. For Taberner, the game involves resisting the first push and not allowing Sonego to dictate with the first right.

Rafa Jodar

After passing the qualifying phase, the 19-year-old Spaniard will debut for the first time in the final draw of a Grand Slam against Rei Sakamoto. In a debut like this, victory usually falls on the side of the one who best manages his nerves: the one who accepts the mistake, the one who does not accelerate by a couple of points, the one who maintains his pattern even when the score is tight… a golden opportunity for the young player from Madrid in Melbourne.