Defending champions Sinner and Keys win opening matches at Australian Open

Two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner only dropped three games on Tuesday in the first round before his opponent, Hugo Gaston, forfeited with an injury, while defending women's champion Madison Keys had a more complicated but equally victorious debut.

The 24-year-old Italian was leading 6-2, 6-1 when his French opponent threw in the towel with an abdominal injury. He had fallen during the first set after returning a drop shot from Sinner and requested to be seen by a trainer.

After a relatively uneventful debut against the 93rd-ranked player in the world, Sinner will now face Australian James Duckworth (88th).

Unbeaten since October, Sinner earned his 16th consecutive victory and joins Carlos Alcaraz (1st), Alexander Zverev (3rd), Novak Djokovic (4th) and Daniil Medvedev (12th) in the second round.

Farewell to Monfils after more than two decades

In the men's draw, the 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca (28th), weighed down by a back injury, bowed out to American Eliot Spizzirri (85th); 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Advancing by winning his fourth match at Melbourne Park after advancing through qualifying was Spain's Rafael Jódar (150th), also 19, who beat Japan's Rei Sakamoto (203rd) in five sets; 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3.

In addition, the semifinalist of the 2025 edition, Ben Shelton (7th), escaped in three sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/5), from the trap set by Frenchman Ugo Humbert (33rd), recent finalist in Adelaide and the top-ranked player among the unseeded players.

He will face local Dane Sweeny (182nd), who achieved his first Grand Slam victory against legendary player Gaël Monfils (110th), who was playing his last Australian Open at the age of 39.