Next up for de Minaur is Hamad Medjedovic. The 22 year old Serbian is ranked 90 in the world, but peaked as high as 57 last year. He has just beaten Mariano Navone in four sets out on Court 7.

“Got a big serve, big groundstrokes, so it’s going to be up to me to try and neutralise it as much as I can and not be a punching bag,” remarks de Minaur.

Alex de Minaur has had a few words on court with Jim Courier. He’s barely broken sweat and not even close to out of breath.

It’s always a nervy start, starting in an Australian Open, playing at home, so I’m extremely happy that I’m through to the next round.

I play well here in Australia, I enjoy the conditions. It’s quite quick when the sun’s out like today, the ball flies through the air, and there’s a little bit more oomph. Then with the crowd behind me it’s a win-win.

That was as routine a first round match as Alex de Minaur could have dreamt of. The sixth seed was in a different league to lucky loser Mackenzie McDonald.

*McDonald 3-5 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6) A fourth double fault drops de Minaur’s first serve percentage down to 52% but McDonald cannot take advantage. His 40 unforced errors is almost double de Minaur’s 23.

McDonald 3-4 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6)* McDonald finds a couple of line-painting aces to move up 30-15 then rockets an inside-out forehand crosscourt that’s too hot for de Minaur to handle to hold.

*McDonald 2-4 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6) De Minaur is unthreatened as he holds to 15. He is only serving at 54% for the match though, which is something he will surely work on before the second round.

Sixth seed Jessica Pegula has raced into the second round with a 66 minute demolition of Anastasia Zakharova.

McDonald 2-3 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6)* The Australian is moving superbly, playing largely conservative, unspectacular tennis, and this efficiency sees him move 0-30 to the good. McDonald gets on the board with the skinniest of aces then levels things up after a superb rally that saw both men at full stretch on the baseline and ending with de Minaur being drawn into the net then unable to execute the overhead smash with backwards momentum.

At deuce McDonald benefits from a net cord then seals the hold with a forehand crosscourt winner.

*McDonald 1-3 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6) A sloppy game meanders to 30-30 then McDonald interrupts a medium-length rally with an overhit backhand, then a medium-length rally with an overhit forehand to usher a larger number onto de Minaur’s side of the scoreboard.

McDonald 1-2 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6)* McDonald finds some rare serving flow and holds quickly to love.

*McDonald 0-2 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6) The sixth seed begins a routine hold with a 200kmh ace, backed up by a half-volley winner down the line clipped off the baseline paint. There is not long left to go in this one.

McDonald 0-1 2-6 2-6 de Minaur (6)* McDonald coughs up another early break. The American has never looked full of ideas but now looks utterly bereft of them, unable to make any inroads with his serve and second best at ground level against the Australian’s court coverage.

11th seed Daniil Medvedev, 13th seed Andrey Rublev, and 19th seed Tommy Paul are all through in straight sets.

Australian Priscilla Hon has benefited from Marina Stakusic’s retirement.

McDonald 2-5 2-6 de Minaur (6)* McDonald looks all at sea. A double fault begins the service game, then a poor approach invites de Minaur to fire a passing shot winner wherever he chooses. The American claws his way back into the game then de Minaur invites him to serve for it with a couple of sloppy errors. A punishing inside-out forehand keeps the set alive for at least one more game.

*McDonald 1-5 2-6 de Minaur (6) De Minaur fashions acres of room to place a forehand winner, then repeats the trick on his backhand side, manoeuvring McDonald like a marionette along the baseline. A double fault delays the inevitable but an ace seals a comfortable hold.

McDonald 1-4 2-6 de Minaur (6)* De Minaur fails to put away a McDonald second serve at 15-30 but is soon gifted a break point when the American hits a routine forehand groundstroke long. A timely ace curls away from the despairing stretch to force deuce.

Another first serve offers McDonald the opportunity to serve for a hold but he’s powerless against a de Minaur backhand winner that scuds down the line. Another ace sets up another game point, and this time the American takes it when de Minaur goes too hard on his forehand return.

*McDonald 0-4 2-6 de Minaur (6) De Minaur holds to love. His first serve percentage still isn’t great – it’s up to 56% in this second set – but he is 5/5 when he lands it.

McDonald 0-3 2-6 de Minaur (6)* McDonald slumps to 0-30 behind a double fault but clubs his way back to 30-30 then moves up 40-30 with a beautiful crosscourt backhand. At game point he stands and delivers from the baseline, hammering forehands at de Minaur but the sixth seed is like a border collie zipping one way then the other retrieving balls with glee, forcing extra shots and earning deuce. Another rally on McDonald’s racket ends the Australian’s way but the sixth seed can’t force a second break.

He gets another chance when McDonald sends a forehand long then he does secure the break when the American can only dump a baseline half-volley into the net. Drama free so far for the home favourite.

*McDonald 0-2 2-6 de Minaur (6) De Minaur consolidates the early break to 15.

McDonald 0-1 2-6 de Minaur (6)* The second set begins with a 19 shot rally that leaves both players gasping for air in the stifling heat. The point was de Minaur’s to lose, which he did, slapping a forehand long despite McDonald offering half the court in which to fire a winner. Neither player covers himself in glory as the score lurches to 30-30 then deuce with a series of unforced errors. Then out of nowhere the point of the match evolves. McDonald is the enforcer but de Minaur’s defence is superb, lobbing from the baseline, recovering the smash, lobbing again, then forcing McDonald into one extra shot too many and earning the break point.

The American saves it then has the opportunity to serve out the hold only to miss a crosscourt forehand with De Minaur scrambling. The Australian gets another bite of the cherry when McDonald fires an inside-out forehand wide, and this time he takes it, hunting down everything his opponent throws at him, including drop shots, to clip a crosscourt winner on the slide.

Alex de Minaur a set and a break up on Mackenzie McDonald.

Alex de Minaur will be satisfied with his opening set of the 2026 Australian Open but he will know he gave enough opportunities for an opponent stronger than McKenzie McDonald to make his life difficult. The Australian will need to up his 48% first serve percentage.

McDonald 2-5 de Minaur (6)* McDonald holds to love with an unexpectedly assertive service game.

*McDonald 1-5 de Minaur (6) De Minaur is dominating from the baseline, running around his forehand and slapping monstrous flat shots that McDonald is struggling to cope with. The Australian is only serving at 47% but a third ace of the match seals the game.

Another Australian, Daria Kasatkina, takes to the court for the first time in the AO tomorrow. It will be her first outing at Melbourne Park as an Australian citizen. Here she is chatting to Jack Snape.

McDonald 1-4 de Minaur (6)* De Minaur’s movement looks excellent as he skips along the baseline, keeping rallies alive, waiting for McDonald to flinch – which he does repeatedly en route to 15-40. The American saves the first break point despite some superb defence from de Minaur, but then dumps a forehand into the net for a second break.

This is all looking routine for Alex de Minaur at the moment.

*McDonald 1-3 de Minaur (6) Three McDonald unforced errors and an ace sees de Minaur race to an easy hold, consolidating the early break of serve.

Alex de Minaur is bidding to emulate compatriot Storm Hunter who is already through to the second round after victory earlier today.

McDonald 1-2 de Minaur (6)* De Minaur clubs a looping backhand crosscourt winner to move up 15-30 then whips a heavy crosscourt forehand to set up the first break point of the afternoon at 30-40… which he takes when McDonald finds the net. Early break to the Australian.

*McDonald 1-1 de Minaur (6) It takes de Minaur until his fourth serve to land one in and he soon finds himself 0-30 after failing to read McDonald’s intentions at the net. At 15-30 the American is in control of a long baseline rally, pushing the sixth seed corner to corner before overhitting to gift control of the game back to the Australian. Another McDonald error sets up game point, with the hold secured with an ace.

De Minaur is now a Wilson man, in case you were wondering, following a long stint representing Asics. It is a typically understated partnership from two of the least flashy representatives in their fields.

McDonald 1-0 de Minaur (6)* McDonald’s opening serving display is unconvincing but he holds after being taken to deuce. De Minaur hit a couple of superb winners, including one particularly impressive forehand return down the line, but struggled to find his range to allow his American opponent the game.

McDonald to serve first…

De Minaur and MacDonald have met twice before with the Australian winning on both occasions, but the most recent of those was indoors in 2022, so it’s unlikely to be playing on the minds of either combatant.

This is De Minaur’s fourth match of 2026, following a United Cup campaign for Australia that saw him defeat Hubert Hurkacz and Jakub Mensik, and lose to Casper Ruud.

It is also a fourth match of the year for McDonald. All of his contests so far came in AO qualifying, where he beat Dmitry Popko and Hugo Grenier before losing to Liam Draxl. McDonald hasn’t won a main draw match at ATP Tour level since September last year when he knocked out Botic van de Zandschlup in the round of 32 at the Chengdu Open.

Alex de Minaur and Mackenzie McDonald are out on RLA hitting up. The arena is filling up but patrons are gravitating to the shaded seats with the early afternoon sunshine and fierce heat making its mark.

One more giant-killing before we focus on Alex de Minaur… 15th seed Emma Navarro has fallen to Magda Linette. The American won the opening set but will not match her run to the quarter-finals here last year.

There have been a couple of upsets early on day two, led by seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian was forced to retire two sets to one down against Portugal’s Nuno Borges. That opens up the section of the draw featuring Daniil Medvedev and the 11th seed is two sets up and cruising against Jesper de Jong.

In the women’s singles, 2020 champion Sofia Kenin is out, beaten in straight sets by compatriot Peyton Stearns. The 27th seed has won just one match in five visits to Melbourne Park since her maiden grand slam.

For a while there it looked as though this match might get underway pretty close to 1:30pm but Coco Gauff took her time finishing off the opening clash on Rod Laver Arena. The third seeded American eventually overcame Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2 6-3 despite tightening up with the finish line in sight. Worryingly, Gauff sent down seven double faults and won just 8/24 points behind her second serve.

Jack Snape has taken a closer look at the leading man of Australian tennis.

De Minaur’s time on tour has been marked by his consistency to perform at a high level, including the last four years in and around the world’s top 10. He has returned to his career-high rank of No 6 this month. But the summit has so far eluded him.

He has reached the quarter-finals at a grand slam six times – including at Melbourne Park last year – without being able to take that next step. The defeat at home last year against Jannik Sinner, when the Italian swamped De Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in just 108 minutes, was the defending champion’s 10th victory in a row against the Australian.