Australian Open
When does Sinner play Tuesday at the Australian Open?
Italian begins campaign against Gaston in evening session
January 19, 2026
William West/AFP via Getty Images
Jannik Sinner will play Hugo Gaston in the Australian Open first round Tuesday.
By ATP Staff
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner begins his quest for a three-peat at the Australian Open on Tuesday. The second-seeded Italian faces French lefty Hugo Gaston during the Rod Laver Arena evening session, not before 7 p.m. AEDT / 3 a.m. EST.
Sinner, No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, leads Gaston 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with their two previous encounters both coming in 2021. Sinner owns a 22-4 record at the season’s first major, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He has not lost in Melbourne since his 2023 fourth-round defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Last year’s semi-finalist Ben Shelton, who fell to Sinner in the last four, is also on Tuesday’s schedule. The American meets Ugo Humbert for the first time. Fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti and 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas are slated to play on Margaret Court Arena.
