5 Breakout Stars from the 2026 Australian Open

The second week of the 2026 Australian Open is here, and there has been no shortage of exciting highlights from Melbourne. Unlike last year's historic Wimbledon, where there was a record number of upsets, there have not been many surprises in the first Grand Slam of 2026.

However, there have been a few breakout stars who have either emerged out of nowhere or established themselves as serious contenders. Below are the five biggest breakout stars from the first week of the Australian Open.

Eliot Spizzirri

Eliot Spizzirri shocked tennis fans by upsetting Joao Fonseca in four sets during their first round match, and was just a few degrees away from possibly upsetting Jannik Sinner in the third round. We will never know what would have happened had the roof not been closed during his match against Sinner, allowing the ATP World No. 2 time to recover, but we do know Spizzirri is the real deal.

Michael Zheng

American fans have closely followed NCAA star Michael Zheng through his college and professional career. Now, the entire world is learning about Zheng after he battled through qualifiers to the second round in Melbourne.

Zeynep Sonmez

Turkish pride all around 1573 Arena 🇹🇷

A standing ovation for Zeynep Sonmez as she leaves 👏 pic.twitter.com/PKtTpxhOAk
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2026

Turkish star Zeynep Sonmez became an overnight sensation when she got through the qualifiers all the way to the third round. Her sportsmanship and incredible story made her a fan favorite in Melbourne.

Iva Jovic

Last year was Iva Jovic's breakout season, and the American is no longer flying under the radar. The 18-year-old will face the WTA World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals tomorrow.

Maddison Inglis

Maddison Inglis made Australian fans proud by advancing through the quarterfinals all the way to the fourth round, where she will face Iga Swiatek. Inglis caught a break by Naomi Osaka's withdrawal and finds herself in the second week of action.

The 2026 Australian Open's main draw kicked off on Sunday, January 18. The action concludes for the women on Saturday, January 31, and the men on Sunday, February 1. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis style news from the court and beyond.

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