Australia’s top seeded men’s tennis player Alex de Minaur begins his quest for the 2026 Australian Open title on Rod Laver Arena on Monday afternoon.
Originally drawing a tough opening round match-up against 2022 semi finalist and world no. 56 Matteo Berrettini, the Italian’s late withdrawal due to illness means world no. 6 de Minaur will now face agile American Mackenzie McDonald, a lucky loser from qualifying currently ranked world no. 113.
De Minaur achieved his best-ever result at Melbourne Park last year —a quarter-final finish—but will be shooting to reach the semi finals at a major for the first time.
AllSportsPeople is following the de Minaur-McDonald match live, providing score updates, commentary and analysis.
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Alex de Minaur vs. Mackenzie McDonald live score - Australian Open first round
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | |
| [6] Alex de Minaur (AUS) | 5 | ||
| [LL] Mackenzie McDonald (USA) | 1 |
Alex de Minaur vs. Mackenzie McDonald updates, highlights and commentary
*Denotes server
De Minaur* 5-1 McDonald
2:13pm: De Minaur went up 30-0 with some sharp ground strokes and finished with an ace. Looking very solid. One more game for the first set.
De Minaur 4-1 McDonald*
2:08pm: Some unforced errors starting to creep into McDonald’s game while de Minaur is looking solid. Two more break points at 15-40 and the Aussie got it done again. Closing in on the first set here with four consecutive games.
De Minaur* 3-1 McDonald
2:05pm: Great follow up game from the Demon. Holds to love to consolidate the break.
De Minaur 2-1 McDonald*
2:03pm: McDonald serving pretty well here, first serves over 70%, but a nice cross court pass gave de Minaur a sniff at 15-30. Moments later came the first break point of the match and the Aussie took it, up 2-1 early.
De Minaur* 1-1 McDonald
1:57pm: Both players have been quick on their feet so far. McDonald made the Aussie work hard to keep it at 30-30. Finishes it with an ace to hold. Going to be a warm afternoon.
De Minaur 0-1 McDonald*
1:53pm: McDonald holds in the opening game. Plenty of baseline action from both players. A couple of unforced errors for the Demon to start with, down 30-0. But good court speed and anticipation got it back to 30-15. A nice passing return took it to 40-30, then deuce before the American served it out. Solid signs.
1:49pm: Roof is open. Sun is shining. It’s McDonald to serve first. Here we go…
1:46 pm: Fun AO fact. Mackenzie McDonald beat Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard’s final ever AO appearance back in 2023. Rafa was hampered by injury in that second round match, losing to the American 6-4 6-4 7-5.
1:45pm: Time for a warm up, then we’ll get underway on Rod Laver Arena.
1:44 pm: De Minaur wins the toss and will receive.
1:42 pm: De Minaur and McDonald are on court. A big ovation for the Aussie as to be expected.
1:39pm: Still waiting for the players. McDonald and de Minaur have met twice before with the Aussie winning both matches. Actually, it’s three times if you count a Challenger event in Canada back in 2017. The Demon won that match also.
1:29pm: Sunny and warm for this match, heading for a forecast top of 30 degrees … although it’s already hotter than that!
1:23 pm: Gauff wins in straight sets. De Minaur and McDonald up next.
1:19 pm: Rakhimova breaks Gauff to keep the match alive. We may be a little longer folks.
1:16 pm: Gauff currently serving for the match against Rakhimova.
1:13 pm: We’ll be providing scores and updates throughout the match, so keep refreshing…
1:08 pm: De Minaur and McDonald are second up on today’s Rod Laver Arena schedule, following the women’s singles match between Coco Gauff and Kamilla Rakhimova. The men’s match will commence no earlier than 1:30 pm.
1:05 pm (local time): Welcome to Melbourne Park for the first round men’s singles match between Australia’s Alex de Minaur and Mackenzie McDonald from the USA.
PRE-MATCH: After making the quarter finals here 12 months ago—before being knocked out in straight sets by eventual champion Jannik Sinner—Alex de Minaur will be keen to make another deep run at Melbourne Park in 2026, beginning with a strong start against American McDonald in front of what’s sure to be a raucous home crowd.
This pair have met twice before on the ATP Tour with de Minaur winning both matches, most recently 2022 in Rotterdam. The 26-year-old Aussie enters the 2026 Australian Open as world no. 6, his highest ever career ATP ranking, and should win this match.
That said, McDonald is no slouch having reached the fourth round here back in 2021.
How to watch the Australian Open: TV channel, free-to-air guide in Australia
The Nine Network is the free-to-air home of the Australian Open in 2026.
All key matches will be broadcast free on TV across the Channel 9 and 9Gem channels.
Broadcast schedules will be determined on a daily basis but matches involving Australians and other notable players will typically receive free-to-air priority.
Channel 9 will serve as the main broadcast channel with 9Gem also providing day-long coverage.
Australian Open live stream: How to watch online in Australia
Aussie fans can stream this year’s Australian Open on subscription service Stan Sport.
In 2026 every match will be streamed live and on demand in 4K, making it the perfect choice for dedicated tennis fans who want uninterrupted coverage.
Stan Sport will also feature tournament shoulder programming including the magazine-style show Grand Slam Daily streaming every morning.