Australian Open 2026 qualifying: Dan Evans one of four Britons to lose in first round in Melbourne

Britain’s Dan Evans lost in the first round of qualifying in Melbourne and missed the Australian Open main draw for the second consecutive year.

The 35-year-old struggled on serve and lost to Japan’s Rei Sakamoto 6-1 6-2.

Evans, the former British No. 1, suffered four double faults in 66 minutes and failed to create a single break point.

Evans’ only Grand Slam appearance last year was at Wimbledon, where he received a main draw wild card.

Great Britain’s Jay Clark and Jack Pinnington-Jones also lost in straight sets in the first qualifying round, while Oliver Crawford lost to Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

Arthur Ferry and Georg Lofhagen had more positive results, with Ferry beating Australia’s Edward Winter 6-2 6-4 and Lofhagen beating Germany’s Justin Engel 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2).

Players must pass three qualifying rounds to enter the main draw, which begins on Sunday, January 18.