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Daughter of four-time Grand Slam winner receives 2026 Australian Open wildcard

Originally posted on HITC | By Matthew Johns | Last updated Nov 27, 2025 10:10 AM ET

Wildcards have been awarded to two American players, securing their spots in the Australian Open main draw.

This year saw Madison Keys defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, marking her first Grand Slam title.

Players like Coco Gauff are already preparing for the 2026 event, which is now less than two months away. Among them will be the daughter of a four-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Elizabeth Mandlik handed wildcard for the Australian Open

Hana Mandlikova had an outstanding career, winning four Grand Slam singles titles and also picking up a major doubles title with Martina Navratilova.

Half of Mandlikova’s four Grand Slam singles wins came in Australia, representing the country after her switch from Czechoslovakia.

The family legacy in tennis continues, but her daughter Elizabeth Mandlik plays under the American flag, having been born in Florida.

Mandlik is now 24 years old and has been ranked as high as world number 97. However, a wrist injury that kept her out for three months in 2024 has made it difficult for her to regain that level.

Despite falling outside the top 180, recent form has helped Mandlik qualify for the USTA’s Australian Open wildcard challenge. Her win at the ITF 100k event in Edmond, Oklahoma, was a key result.

This means the 24-year-old will play in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time since the 2023 French Open. She has only one career match win at that level so far.

What Hana Mandlikova told Elizabeth Mandlik about playing tennis

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Understandably, expectations have followed Mandlik throughout her career due to what her mother achieved.

But according to the American herself, Hana never added to that pressure, and often did quite the opposite.

“There’s a lot of people out there that have a sense of like, ‘Oh, well, she’s supposed to be good.’ And that’s not really how it works,” said Mandlik (via USTA.com).

“Everybody is their own person and has their own success. [My mother] always just tried to put in my head that whatever you do, you did it, and it doesn’t matter what she did,” Mandlik revealed.

She added: “She influenced me in a way that… ‘If you don’t want to play the sport, if you want to quit right now, that’s totally OK.’ She never put pressure on me. She never made it seem like, ‘Oh, because I played you have to play,’ or ‘Because I played, you have to be good.’”

Mandlik will seek her first Australian Open main draw win when the tournament begins on Sunday, January 18. Her sole previous appearance saw her lose after being a set up against Irina-Camelia Begu.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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