Top five second round matches at 2026 Australian Open

Croatia's Marin Cilic plays a backhand return Sam Querrey of the US in their singles rubber during the Davis Cup semi-final tennis match between Croatia and the US at Sport Centre Visnjik in Zadar on September 16, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / STR

The second round is about to start at the 2026 Australian Open. Here are the five best second round matches.

5) (12) Casper Ruud–NOR vs. Jaume Munar–ESP

Ruud is a three-time grand slam finalist as he made the United States Open final in 2022 and 2023 and the United States Open final in 2023. An upset could happen here as Munar reached the fourth round of the 2025 United States Open. Ruud has won five of six meetings head-to-head. Ruud beat Munar three times in 2025 including the first round of the 2023 Australian Open.

4) (31) Stefanos Tsitsipas–GRE vs. Tomas Machac–CZE

Tsitsipas is a two-time grand slam finalist (2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open). Machac’s greatest accomplishment was winning the gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with Katerina Siniakova. Like Munar, Machac reached the fourth round of the 2025 United States Open. Tsitsipas won the only prior meeting, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round of Vienna in 2023.

3) (5) Lorenzo Musetti–ITA vs. Lorenzo Sonego–ITA

In this all-Italian battle, Musetti is a two-time grand slam semifinalist as he reached the final four of the 2024 Wimbledon and 2025 French Open. Sonego reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last year. Sonego and Musetti have beaten each other once. Musetti won 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of Vienna in 2024, and Sonego won in the second round of the Paris Indoor in 2025, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

2) (8) Mirra Andreeva–RUS vs. Maria Sakkari–GRE

These are two grand slam semifinalists. Sakkari made the final four of the United States Open and French Open in 2021, and Andreeva made the semifinals of the French Open in 2024. This is their first ever meeting.

1) Denis Shapovalov–CAN vs. Marin Cilic–CRO

Cilic won the United States Open in 2014. Shapovalov reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2021. Shapovalov has won three of five meetings all-time.