World No. 2 Iga Swiatek commenced her Australian Open 2026 campaign with a hard-fought victory, overcoming Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in straight sets with a scoreline of 7-6(5), 6-3. The match, held on the prominent Rod Laver Arena, proved to be a significant test for the Polish star, particularly in the initial set which lasted close to an hour and was ultimately decided by a tie-break. Swiatek herself acknowledged feeling "a bit rusty" and pointed to "many ups and downs" during the encounter, a sentiment reflected in her statistics of 24 winners against 45 unforced errors. This performance follows a less-than-ideal showing at the preceding United Cup, where she experienced consecutive singles losses to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic, although her nation did clinch the team title. The Australian Open represents the sole Grand Slam title missing from Swiatek's illustrious career, making this tournament a pivotal opportunity in her quest to complete a career Grand Slam. She is set to face Czech player Marie Bouzkova in the second round. The tournament, which commenced on January 12, 2026, is of critical importance for Swiatek as she aims to achieve a historic milestone.