Australian Open 2026: Iga Swiatek’s bid for a Grand Slam career gets off to a disappointing start

Like Swiatek, Gauff also had problems with her serve in the first round as she committed seven double faults against Kamila Rakhimova of Uzbekistan.

Three of them came in the opener, but Goff said it was “smooth sailing from there.”

“I think I erased that first match, and after that I got better,” she said after the 6-2, 6-3 victory, her 75th Grand Slam victory.

The two-time major singles champion added: “I tried not to put too much pressure on myself. I’m only satisfied if I win, but I’m proud of myself no matter how I progress.”

Gauff (21 years old) will face Olga Danilović in the next round, after the Serbian player defeated 45-year-old Venus Williams on Sunday.

American Anisimova, seeded fourth, needed only 60 minutes to beat Swiss Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-2 and confirm her credentials for the title.

After reaching the US Open and Wimbledon finals last season, Anisimova became one of the favorites all the way in Melbourne, but insisted she was focused on improving as a player rather than reaching a third successive Grand Slam final.

Her American compatriot Pegula, seeded sixth, also impressed with her 6-2, 6-1 victory in 66 minutes over Russian Anastasia Zakharova.

Russian youngster Mira Andreeva – another title contender – found herself in a first-round match against Croatian Donna Vekic, but the eighth seed rose in the second set and won the deciding match 6-0, earning 25 points out of 32 available points.