The first Grand Slam of the year gets underway this weekend with the first round of the Australian Open. Melbourne Park's hard courts will host the world's top tennis players from Sunday, January 18 until February 1, with a record total prize fund of £55.7million on offer.

Yet, despite all of the excitement, some fans have been left disappointed by the flurry of notable absentees already confirmed ahead of the tournament. A handful of big names opting out has reshaped the tournament field ahead of Sunday's first serves. Now, Express Sport takes a look at some of the biggest players confirmed to be missing the 2026 Australian Open and why they will not be in action.

British No.1 Jack Draper has confirmed he will miss the Australian Open as he continues his recovery from a long-standing arm injury. Draper has been sidelined since late 2025 and decided against competing at the season's opening Slam to avoid risking further damage.

Holger Rune is another huge absentee from the men's field, having torn his Achilles last October. The injury has kept the Dane, who is still ranked inside the world's top 20, out of action for months. Arthur Fils of France has also been taken off the entry list and replaced for the draw due to a stress fracture in his back.

The Australian crowd will miss Aussie duo Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis too. After undergoing shoulder surgery last year, Kokkinakis made his return to singles competition in Adelaide, winning his match but having to withdraw from both the Adelaide International and the Australian Open's singles draw. He will, however, still compete in the doubles along with Kyrgios, who is also out of the singles as he conserves his body after recent knee and wrist surgeries.

Belgian David Goffin was also confirmed to have withdrawn, saying he is taking extra time to properly recover from lingering knee issues before attempting a full return to the tour.

In terms of notable absentees in the women's singles, 2024 Australian Open finalist and Paris Olympics gold medallist Zheng Qinwen has officially confirmed her withdrawal due to ongoing fitness concerns after an elbow surgery last July. Another big miss is last year's pantomime villain Danielle Collins, with the American out due to a back injury that prematurely ended her 2025 season.

Former world No.2 Ons Jabeur misses out as she is currently on maternity leave, while world No.7 Veronika Kudermetova is out for several months after revealing she underwent surgery at the start of this year. Other absentees are China's Wang Yafan and France's Lois Boisson, with the 2025 French Open semi-finalist skipping the Slam in order to be able to compete "at 100%" for the rest of the season, having not played since September.