Play at the 2026 Brisbane International concluded in the early Sunday morning US hours on January 11, 2026, and the women’s and men’s singles champions were crowned.
Aryna Sabalenka and Daniil Medvedev kicked off their new tennis seasons with Brisbane wins.
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka is now the two-time Brisbane International champion. Marta Kostyuk played a great tournament but fell in straight sets to her.
She is the undisputed greatest player of this era on the hard courts, and Australia is where that is most evident. Sabalenka has won 38 of her last 40 matches Down Under. She will also enter the 2026 Australian Open as the odds-on favorite to win the first Grand Slam of the season.
The World No. 1 possesses six Grand Slam wins, four singles and two doubles, and all are on the hardcourts.
Sabalenka is so relaxed playing in Australia. In her victory speech, she called out her boyfriend, hinting or nudging that an engagement may be forthcoming.
Aryna Sabalenka after winning back to back Brisbane titles:
“Thank you to my boyfriend… hopefully soon I can call you something else” 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/VCLdkJXLBg
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 11, 2026
Daniil Medvedev
Before Jannik Sinner entered the scene, Medvedev was the greatest hardcourt player of this era. He is still the self-proclaimed hardcourt specialist.
Medvedev defeated Brandon Nakashima in straight sets.
More importantly, he was loose and unbothered. There were many occasions last year where his emotions got the better of him on the court. It is early in the season, but the 2026 Medvedev temperament is a better recipe for success.
"One more step tomorrow." 🤞
Daniil Medvedev talks about his mindset after winning his first semifinal of 2026.
He beat Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-2 and will now face Brandon Nakashima in the final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1zz8PXpQHP
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 10, 2026
This is Medvedev’s 22nd career title; all have been unique with no repeats.
A Note On Brisbane International Doubles
Jelena Ostapenko and Su-wei Hsieh, both outstanding doubles players in their own right, teamed together to win their first WTA doubles title together.
🎾 🇹🇼🇱🇻🏆. #BrisbaneOpen #tennis #Hsieh #Ostapenko pic.twitter.com/M91LxTMKmt
— nofootballzone (@nofootballzone) January 11, 2026
Hsieh, along with Sara Errani, is a doubles legend extending her career into her late thirties with excellent play and partnerships.
Ostapenko is a dual threat, a Grand Slam champion in singles and doubles, and women’s doubles will be even more interesting if Ostapenko and Hsieh play together often this year.
In men’s doubles, the top seeded British team of Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool were defeated by Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler avenging a straight set loss in last year’s Veinna Open final.
Next up in the Australian Open warmup tournament rotation is Adelaide International which occurs this week, concurrent to the Australian Open qualifying rounds.
