MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were officially made the top-seeded players for the Australian Open which begins Sunday at Melbourne Park.
The announcement on Wednesday comes a day ahead of the tournament draw.
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner was seeded second, with Alexander Zverev third and 10-time champion Novak Djokovic fourth. Sabalenka, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff are the top three seeds in the women’s draw for the second consecutive year.
Madison Keys returns as the defending champion and the ninth-seeded player, one of four American women among the top 10 seeds.
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Men’s Singles Seedings
1. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain
2. Jannik Sinner, Italy
3. Alexander Zverev, Germany
4. Novak Djokovic, Serbia
5. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy
6. Alex de Minaur, Australia
7. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
8. Ben Shelton, United States
9. Taylor Fritz, United States
10. Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
11. Daniil Medvedev
12. Casper Ruud, Norway
13. Andrey Rublev
14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Spain
15. Karen Khachanov
16. Jakub Mensik, Czech Republic
17. Jiri Lehecka, Czech Republic
18. Francisco Cerundolo, Argentina
19. Tommy Paul, United States
20. Flavio Cobolli, Italy
21. Denis Shapovalov, Canada
22. Luciano Darderi, Italy
23. Tallon Griekspoor, Netherlands
24. Arthur Rinderknech, France
25. Learner Tien, United States
26. Cameron Norrie, Britain
27. Brandon Nakashima, United States
28. Joao Fonseca, Brazil
29. Frances Tiafoe, United States
30. Valentin Vacherot, Monaco
31. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece
32. Corentin Moutet, FranceWomen’s Singles Seedings
33. 1. Aryna Sabalenka
34. 2. Iga Świątek, Poland
35. 3. Coco Gauff, United States
36. 4. Amanda Anisimova, United States
37. 5. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan
38. 6. Jessica Pegula, United States
39. 7. Jasmine Paolini, Italy
40. 8. Mirra Andreeva
41. 9. Madison Keys, United States
42. 10. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland
43. 11. Ekaterina Alexandrova
44. 12. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
45. 13. Linda Noskova, Czech Republic
46. 14. Clara Tauson, Denmark
47. 15. Emma Navarro, United States
48. 16. Naomi Osaka, Japan
49. 17. Victoria Mboko, Canada
50. 18. Liudmila Samsonova
51. 19. Karolina Muchova, Czech Republic
52. 20. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine
53. 21. Elize Mertens, Belgium
54. 22. Leylah Fernández, Canada
55. 23. Diana Shnaider
56. 24. Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia
57. 25. Paula Badosa, Spain
58. 26. Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine
59. 27. Sofia Kenin, United States
60. 28. Emma Raducanu, Britain
61. 29. Iva Jovic, United States
62. 30. Maya Joint, Australia
63. 31. Anna Kalinskaya
64. 32. Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic — AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
As expected, Alcaraz and Sabalenka named top-seeded players at the Australian Open
https://arab.news/6zvsp
As expected, Alcaraz and Sabalenka named top-seeded players at the Australian Open
- Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were officially made the top-seeded players for the Australian Open which begins Sunday at Melbourne Park
- Sabalenka, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff are the top three seeds in the women’s draw for the second consecutive year
FIA president praises Saudi Arabia boost of Dakar Rally
- Mohammed Ben Sulayem will attend the climax of the 48th edition at the weekend
DUBAI: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has praised Saudi Arabia for helping the Dakar Rally emerge as one of the world’s top events, and boosting the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.
Ben Sulayem will attend the 48th edition of the legendary race as it reaches its climax at the weekend.
The opening round of the championship has attracted a record 72 entries. It will also mark the launch of the new FIA Master Drivers’ Championship, and the entry of Defender as a new manufacturer.
Ben Sulayem will be welcomed on Friday by Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.
The FIA president, who will speak at the closing ceremony on Saturday evening, said the event “continues to go from strength to strength.”
He added that the race now has a “record numbers of entries, new manufacturers, and ever-increasing competition in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, reflecting the continued global growth of motorsport.”
He thanked Prince Khalid and the federation “for hosting another outstanding event and delivering a truly world-class experience for competitors, fans, and all those involved.”
Joining Ben Sulayem on his visit will be Malcolm Wilson, the FIA’s deputy president for sport.
“The 2026 edition of the Dakar Rally continues to showcase both the growth of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and the strength of Cross-Country rallying as a whole,” said Wilson.
He added that it was “encouraging to see three manufacturers – Toyota, Dacia and Ford – all increasing their presence,” and welcomed Defender in the Stock category.
