Four Australian tennis players have been awarded wildcards for the Australian Open, with Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston among the recipients. The other two wildcards went to Priscilla Hon and Rinky Hijikata, as announced by Tennis Australia on Monday.
Notably, Nick Kyrgios did not receive a wildcard in this round, despite his high profile. Kyrgios has been sidelined by knee and wrist surgeries and has played only six ATP Tour matches in over three years. However, his hopes are not extinguished, as more wildcards will be offered closer to the tournament start on January 18.
Priscilla Hon, 27, had a breakthrough year in 2025, reaching the third round of the US Open after qualifying and climbing to a career-high ranking of 94. She also qualified for Wimbledon and won ITF tournaments in Brisbane and Romania. Hon expressed gratitude for the wildcard, stating she pushed her body hard to avoid needing one.
Rinky Hijikata, who reached the Wimbledon doubles final with David Pel, will make his fourth consecutive Australian Open main draw appearance. Taylah Preston won 31 of her last 37 matches in 2025, boosting her ranking from 259 to 199. Talia Gibson, who played for Australia in the Billie Jean King Cup, won her first grand slam main draw match at this year's Australian Open.
Additionally, French players Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Kyrian Jacquet received wildcards. Australia now has eight men and eight women in the Open singles draws.
