Six Women Withdraw From 2026 Australian Open

The women’s draw at the 2026 Australian Open generated some fascinating potential matchups. French Open champion Coco Gauff could play the legendary Venus Williams in the second round, and Wimbledon winner Iga Swiatek might face last year’s US Open semifinalist Naomi Osaka. Despite the strong draw, some notable players were missing because of withdrawing from the tournament. This article lists those players and their replacements.

Six Women’s Players Withdraw From Australian Open

Qinwen Zheng was the highest-ranked women’s player to withdraw from the Australian Open. The 2024 runner-up in Melbourne is still troubled by a persistent elbow issue that she had surgery on. She missed much of last season, including the US Open, before returning at the China Open in September. The problem resurfaced afterward, and there is no timeline at the moment for her next return.

Danielle Collins, a second former runner-up at the season’s opening Grand Slam, was another player to withdraw from the Australian Open. A back injury shortened her 2025 season, and she remains sidelined by it. Rather than being entirely inactive during her recovery, Collins has appeared on the TennisChannel, impressing many fans with her knowledge and insights.

Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur was an additional player removed from the entry list. The Tunisian initially ended her 2025 season early before announcing her pregnancy in November, with a due date in 2026. Although it is unknown when she will return to tennis, the 31-year-old plans to make a comeback at some stage.

Lois Boisson was a fourth withdrawal from the Australian Open. She has struggled with various injuries since her memorable run to the 2025 French Open semifinal as a wild card. In a statement, Boisson said she did everything to be ready in time, but ultimately realized that not rushing her return was the wisest move.

Veronika Kudermetova and Yafan Wang, both suffering from injuries, were the other two withdrawals.

Who replaced those players in the draw?

Polina Kudermetova took Zheng’s place at the Australian Open. The younger sister of Veronika has made two previous main draw appearances in Melbourne, losing in the opening round both times. Her latest chance to reach the second round will occur against Guiomar Maristany, who qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Kaja Juvan entered the draw because of Collins’s decision to withdraw. The Slovenian, a close friend of Iga Swiatek, reached the third round of the event in 2021. She almost certainly will require an excellent performance against the WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina to have any chance of progressing through the opening round.

Leolia Jeanjean is another player with a chance to win her first main draw match at the Australian Open. She replaced Jabeur, and it will be her fourth opening round contest in Melbourne. Although the Frenchman starts as the underdog against Maria Sakkari, her chances of causing an upset should not be ruled out.

Katie Boulter, Anastasia Zakharova, and Veronika Erjavec are the other players now in the main draw. Boulter will try to find her form from 2024, when she claimed two titles, after an underwhelming 2025 season.