Sabalenka, Zverev win Melbourne openers as Alcaraz enters fray

Aryna Sabalenka launched her bid for a third Australian Open title in four years with a patchy performance Sunday as Alexander Zverev also overcame a shaky start to reach round two in front of record crowds.

Later on day one in Melbourne, Carlos Alcaraz begins his charge and the 45-year-old Venus Williams will become the oldest woman ever at the Grand Slam.

World number one Sabalenka, stunned by Madison Keys in the 2025 final, ultimately had too much power, guile and quality for French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.

But the Belarusian took time to find her touch, making a series of unforced errors before taming the spirited 20-year-old 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.

"It is always tricky playing someone young, someone you don't know, and a lefty (left-hander)," said the top seed and title favourite.

Sabalenka said she had felt added pressure with tennis legends Roger Federer and Rod Laver court-side.

"I hope you guys enjoyed watching me play, I hope you enjoyed it even a little bit," she said in her on-court interview, addressing the duo.

Sabalenka faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia or Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan next.

Title rivals Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff begin their campaigns on Monday.

Earlier, in hot and sunny conditions, Zverev threatened to implode in losing the first set to Canada's 41st-ranked Gabriel Diallo.

But the 28-year-old recovered from the shock to win 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 and next meets home player Alexei Popyrin or Alexandre Muller of France.

Asked how he reset from his first-set wobble, the third seed and last year's losing finalist said: "I was thinking it can't get worse than that."

Also safely through was seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini as she outclassed Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2.

Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian 12th seed, eased past Cristina Bucsa of Spain 6-4, 6-1.

But the seeds did not have it all their own way.

British qualifier Arthur Fery scored an upset by taking down 20th seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-1.

Ukraine's 26th seed Dayana Yastremska was another surprise casualty, losing 6-4, 7-5 to Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Also gone at the first hurdle was another Ukrainian seed, Marta Kostyuk, defeated in three sets by Elsa Jacquemot.

Organisers said that 73,235 people came through the gates, a record day-time attendance for the tournament, although there were complaints about long queues.

Underlining how fierce it was in temperatures close to 30C, a ball girl fainted during the match between Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova, with both players rushing to help her.

Alcaraz enters fray

Later Sunday, Spain's world number one Alcaraz embarks on his bid to make a slice of history.

Alcaraz faces 79th-ranked Australian Adam Walton in the final match of the day on Rod Laver Arena.

Alcaraz has won the US Open, Wimbledon and French Open, but Melbourne is the one Grand Slam missing from his impressive resume.

The furthest he has gone at the opening major of the year is the quarter-finals and he has made it clear that dethroning rival Jannik Sinner as champion is his main aim for 2026.

If he does so, the 22-year-old would surpass compatriot Rafael Nadal to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, which is winning all four majors.

Veteran Williams is back in Melbourne for the first time since 2021 after being handed a wildcard and faces a tough task against 69th-ranked Olga Danilovic of Serbia.

Now ranked 576, the former world number one lost in the opening round of both of her warm-up events and has played only sporadically in recent years.