Great Britain’s Dan Evans was eliminated in the first round of Australian Open qualifying for a second consecutive year, falling 6-1 6-2 to Japan’s Rei Sakamoto in Melbourne.

The 35-year-old former British number one struggled with his serve throughout the 66-minute match, committing four double faults and failing to create a single break point against the Japanese qualifier. Evans’ defeat means he will miss the main draw at Melbourne Park for the second year in a row, after his best career Australian Open performance came in 2017, when he reached the fourth round.

British Players’ Mixed Results

Other British players also struggled in early qualifying:

• Jay Clarke and Jack Pinnington Jones lost in straight sets in their opening matches.
• Oliver Crawford was defeated 6-3 2-6 6-3 by Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar.

However, there were positive results for some of Britain’s younger players:

• Arthur Fery defeated Australia’s Edward Winter 6-2 6-4.
• George Loffhagen overcame Germany’s Justin Engel 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2).

Players must win three qualifying rounds to reach the main draw, which begins on Sunday, 18 January, at Melbourne Park.

Main Draw British Entrants

Despite Evans’ setback, several Britons are already confirmed in the main draw:

• Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley in the men’s draw.
• Emma Raducanu, Francesca Jones, and Sonay Kartal in the women’s draw.
• Katie Boulter, ranked 113th, secured direct entry after high-profile withdrawals, marking her third consecutive Australian Open main draw appearance.

Other Notable Qualifying Results

• Taylor Townsend, current world number two in women’s doubles, won a grueling three-set match against Japan’s Nao Hibino, 6-7 (3-7), 6-0, 7-5, converting her sixth match point.
• Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens recorded her first victory since Wimbledon 2024, defeating Czech player Barbora Palicova 6-1 7-5. Stephens had missed much of the 2025 season due to a foot injury.

Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie continued his Australian Open preparations at the Auckland Classic, beating Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-3 6-4 to reach the last 16. Norrie, 30, will face either Roberto Bautista Agut or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard next. The British player, who grew up in Auckland, has previously reached the tournament final in 2019 and 2023.

Looking Ahead

The Australian Open 2026 runs from 18 January to 1 February at Melbourne Park, with live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

Britain’s hopes now rest on players like Norrie, Raducanu, and Boulter to make an impact in the main draw, while qualifiers such as Fery and Loffhagen could provide surprise breakthroughs in the coming days.