AO Media Release, December 22, 2025
Four more Australian Open 2026 wildcards have been announced, with popular Aussies Rinky Hijikata, Priscilla Hon, Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston to play in the main draw at Melbourne Park in January.
It boosts the number of Australians in the singles main draws to 16 – eight in the men’s, and eight in the women’s.
Hon’s wildcard comes off the back of a career-best season, during which she reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time – at the US Open – shortly before making her top-100 debut.
The 27-year-old Queenslander also qualified for Wimbledon, advanced to the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, and won two ITF W75 titles, in Brisbane and Romania.
“I’m so incredibly grateful to Tennis Australia for the wildcard,” Hon said, who hit a career-high ranking of world No.94 in mid-October before dropping to her current mark of 119th.
“I pushed my body hard to try and avoid needing one, but I’m very thankful for their continued support. I’m proud to represent Australia and can’t wait to see how far I can go!”
Hijikata’s 2025 season peaked on the doubles court when he reached the Wimbledon final with Dutch partner David Pel. It was his second Grand Slam doubles final, after he and fellow Australian Jason Kubler won the AO 2023 title.
On the singles court, Hijikata closed the season strongly with victory at the Playford Challenger – rising to world No.114 as a result – and earlier won early rounds at Wimbledon, Indian Wells and Miami.
Hijikata, whose best Grand Slam singles result was a fourth-round run at the 2023 US Open, will compete in his fourth consecutive AO main draw.
“I’m very grateful to get another opportunity to play in the main draw at the AO,” Hijikata said.
“There’s nothing better than competing at a home Slam and I’ve had some of my best memories in Melbourne. I can’t wait for the electric atmosphere in January.”
Another fast-finishing player in 2025 was Preston, who since the beginning of September won 31 of her last 37 matches.
In that same span she improved her ranking from No.259 to No.199 after collecting three Australian Pro Tour singles titles – in Wagga Wagga, Dawin and Brisbane – from four finals appearances.
The 20-year-old, a former top-10 junior, will be making the third Grand Slam main-draw appearance after competing at the Australian and US Opens in 2024.
“I’m extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to play main draw in Melbourne again,” Preston said. “It means so much and I can’t wait to get out there and compete.”
Gibson, meanwhile, enjoyed a late-season high when she was selected in the Australian Billie Jean King Cupteam for the first time, as part of Australia’s Play-off campaign in Hobart.
The following week, she travelled to Sydney and won the Australian Pro Tour title there, one of three ITF titles she won in 2025 at W50 level or above.
The West Australian also won her first Grand Slam main-draw match at AO 2025, qualified for Wimbledon, reached the second round of the WTA Cleveland tournament, and scored several impressive results at WTA 125 level.
“I’m extremely thrilled to receive a main draw wildcard into the Australian Open and am very grateful to Tennis Australia for giving me this wonderful opportunity,” said Gibson, who peaked at world No.105 in August.
“I had the best experience winning my first main-draw match at AO at the start of this year so I can’t wait to experience the home crowd’s amazing atmosphere again in January.”
Main-draw wildcards have also been awarded to French players Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Kyrian Jacquet, as announced by the French Tennis Federation.
Rakotomanga Rajaonah, 20, recently broke through for her first WTA title in Sao Paulo and is nearing the top 100 after beginning 2025 outside the top 350. Jacquet, meanwhile, reached his first ATP-level quarterfinal in Metz last month, shortly before hitting a career-high ranking of 137th.
More wildcards will be announced ahead of the Australian Open 2026 main draw, beginning 18 January.
