Stars prepare ahead of AO 2026

Top names from the men's and women's game have been arriving in Melbourne over recent days, with several taking to Rod Laver Arena for open practice sessions.

For the casual fan eager to see their favourite players warm up and hone their game, there were some key tactical takeaways from the practice court.

World No.1 and reigning U.S. Open champion, Carlos Alcaraz, was entertaining as always, sporting a Lebron James Lakers jersey showcasing those famous muscles of his.

The 22-year-old from Murcia arrived in Australia for the first time without coach Juan Carlos Ferrero by his side, following their split in December - Samuel Lopez has been promoted from assistant coach to lead Alcaraz’s team in 2026.

The pair are set to implement a tactical overhaul aimed at a more aggressive baseline game with increased net approaches and a refined serve, a shift that Alcaraz revealed stems from analysing recent losses and seeking fresh variety. "I need to add new weapons to stay ahead," he said.

He was looking relaxed in his preparations to complete the career slam and to stop Jannik Sinner from winning a third successive Australian Open.

In contrast, the defending AO champion and world No.2 was in typically nonchalant form in an all-Italian practice session with Flavio Cobolli.

Despite rumours of his retirement, Darren Cahill remains in Sinner's coaching team for AO 2026, with the duo making a pact for Cahill to stay on following Sinner's Wimbledon win. Simone Vagnozzi also remains a key figure, with the team aiming to defend the AO crown and wrestle back the No.1 ranking from Alcaraz.

As with Alcaraz, Sinner’s coaching team have introduced tactical adjustments to make the Italian’s tennis more unpredictable and varied, particularly after Sinner's defeat to Alcaraz in the 2025 US Open final.

Saying that he was “too predictable” after the loss, Sinner admitted he was prepared for a bumpy road in the short term in order to become a more complete player.

“I'm going to aim to maybe even lose some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that's what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player. At the end of the day, that's my main goal,” he explained.

While his core game is still firmly on the baseline, Sinner will look to enrich his play with drop shots, net approaches and slices.

Another player looking to add variety to their game is Aryna Sabalenka.

The first big name to practise on the storied court at RLA, Sabalenka was noticeably working on her slice backhand, presumably to add more nuance to her power game. It’s something she started to incorporate more in 2025, even bringing in the drop shot to good effect.

Like Sinner, Sabalenka is an aggressive baseliner, but adding different strings to her bow has clearly been a focus heading into AO 2026, which she addressed after winning the Brisbane International.

“[A] couple years ago, I finally found the touch game. I figured something, and I kind of changed my game style,” she said.

“Now I'm not only the aggressive player. I can play at the net, I can be in the defense, I can use my slice, I have a good touch.

“That's something that I have been working my whole career to be, to have that variety in my game, to have A, B, C plans for the match. And I'm super happy to see that things are clicking together. Hopefully I can just become better in those parts of my game.”

While some players are actively working on new things, others are sticking to their tried and tested methods, and based on his incomparable resume, Novak Djokovic isn't looking to change things up too much.

Keeping the crowd (and his hitting partner, Jiri Lehecka) waiting, the 10-time AO champion finally entered Rod Laver Arena to a roar of approval.

While Aussie No.1, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev were respectively practising over at Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena in closed sessions, Djokovic drew by far the biggest crowd of the day.

The Serbian has not won a major in two years since Sinner and Alcaraz established themselves as the new duopoly at the top of men’s tennis.

Having pulled out of the ATP World Tour Finals and the Adelaide International, Djokovic’s last official match was against Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Hellenic Championship in early November.

But count him out at your peril; even at age 38 there may still be some surprises.

Answering questions about possible retirement following his title win over Musetti in Greece, Djokovic gave a typically self-assured and non-conformist answer.

“Of course, I’ve thought about [retirement] a few times, but in the end, I decided to simply play my way, to play where I want to play, not where others think I should,” he said.

Watching him practise at Rod Laver Arena, it's clear that he's still as motivated as ever to win an 11th Australian Open and record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.

Looking focused and sharp, Djokovic knows that experience is on his side and, in the end, he’s earned the right to go out the way he likes.

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