Katie Boulter Leads British Charge in 2026 Australian Open Qualifying

The qualifying rounds for the 2026 Australian Open will commence on January 12. A total of 12 British players are eager to earn a spot in the main draw, the first Grand Slam of the year. To secure one of the 16 available positions, players must triumph in three rounds of qualifying.

Katie Boulter Leading the Charge

Katie Boulter, currently the third highest-ranked player on the women’s singles qualifying list, is among the British representatives. She has reached the second round at the Australian Open in each of the past two years. Boulter recently kicked off the year with a win in Auckland.

Other Competing British Players

• Harriet Dart, who concluded 2025 with the W75 Toronto title.
• Mimi Xu, an 18-year-old player who won at the Lexus Wrexham Open.

In the men’s singles qualifying, Billy Harris leads the team. He had a strong performance at the United Cup, defeating Shintaro Mochizuki and pushing Stefanos Tsitsipas to three sets in his second match.

Additional Contenders

Joining Harris are players Jan Choinski, Dan Evans, Oliver Crawford, Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones, Ryan Peniston, George Loffhagen, and Jay Clarke. Choinski enjoyed a successful 2025, securing four ATP Challenger Tour titles.

This will be the first appearance at the Australian Open for Fery, Pinnington Jones, and Loffhagen. All of these players aim to follow in the footsteps of the five British athletes already confirmed for the singles main draw: Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Francesca Jones, Cam Norrie, and Jacob Fearnley.

Notably, Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Australian Open this year due to an injury.

Summary of Qualification Process

The hopes are high as the qualifying phase approaches, with Boulter and the rest of the British contingent looking to secure their places in the prestigious main draw of the Australian Open.