2026 Brisbane International WTA Draw with Sabalenka, Rybakina, Keys & more

The draw for the first WTA 500 tournament of the 2026 season has been revealed, as the best of the best will compete at the Brisbane International.

48 players will enter the main draw at the Brisbane International from January 4th to 11th. The 16 highest-ranked players will have a first-round bye, while the remaining 32 will compete in first-round matches.

Headlining the field is the defending champion and the reigning world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian player has a first-round bye, and she already knows her potential second-round opponent's name. The top seed will start against the winner of the match between a qualifier and Cristina Bucsa, who would be a much different opponent than Nick Kyrgios, whom Sabalenka faced recently.

Sabalenka is not the only former champion in the draw. The third-seeded Elena Rybakina won the tournament in 2024. This year, she returns to Brisbane in an attempt to win her second title in the city. She will play her first match of the 2026 season against Ashlyn Krueger or one of the qualifiers.

Both Sabalenka and Rybakina are in the top part of the draw, which means they will both avoid the second-seeded Amanda Anisimova until the final. The American player enjoyed her best season in 2025 and will be eager to follow up in 2026.

She, too, can play against a qualifier in the second round of the tournament. That will happen if one of the qualifiers beats home wild card Kimberly Birrell, who is the other possible second-round opponent for Anisimova.

Despite avoiding former champions Sabalenka and Rybakina, the second seed won't be happy to have one particular player in her part of the draw. Former WTA world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova has won the Brisbane International three times (2017, 2019, and 2020), and she will try to add her fourth title this year.

The Czech player will return to the WTA 500 stage, as the Brisbane International will be her first tournament of such category since the 2024 Citi Open in Washington. Pliskova will play her first match against Hailey Baptiste. If she wins, she will take on the 16th-seeded Marta Kostyuk, with a possible third-round match against Anisimova.

Pliskova is not the only player returning to the tennis courts. Tennis fans will be happy to see Paula Badosa in action again. The Spanish player ended her 2025 season early but seems ready to start the 2026 season in Brisbane. She is among the seeded players, awaiting a second-round match against Marie Bouzkova or Jaqualine Cristian.

The draw is stacked with exciting players. Defending Australian Open champion Madison Keys will compete in Brisbane as well. She will play against McCartney Kessler or Emiliana Arango in the second round of the event.

Mirra Andreeva is still only 18 years old, even though she is becoming one of the more experienced players on the WTA Tour. The teenager is the sixth seed and will start against Ann Li or a qualifier.

Jessica Pegula will want to fight for the American No. 1 spot in 2026. She enters the year as the third-highest-ranked player from her country and the fourth seed in Brisbane. The American will await Tereza Valentova or Anna Kalinskaya in the second round.

The 2026 Brisbane International will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting WTA 500 events of the 2026 season, even though it's the first such tournament of the year. The draw is packed with Top 30 players and major winners who want to start the year with a bang.