The 2026 Australian Open is officially underway, and if you're keeping tabs on the pipeline of rising tennis talent, there's one trend that’s hard to miss: the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (UTR PTT) has a serious footprint in Melbourne this year.
A record-breaking 66 current and former UTR PTT players are competing in either singles qualifying or the main draw at this year’s first Grand Slam. That’s the most UTR PTT-connected athletes the Australian Open has seen since the tour launched back in 2021. Only one Slam in the past two seasons - the 2024 US Open - featured more UTR PTT alumni.
For those unfamiliar, the UTR PTT has become a proving ground for up-and-coming pros looking to sharpen their game against consistently strong competition. With over 450 events held across more than 30 countries, the tour offers guaranteed matches, prize money, and a lower-cost path to high-level tennis - a combination that’s helped players reinvest in their careers and climb the rankings.
That impact is on full display in Melbourne.
Take Scotland’s Jacob Fearnley, for example. He’s set to face Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak in the first round.
Fearnley, now ranked No. 77 in the world, credits his early development to the UTR PTT format. “I played PTT events at the start of my professional career, and I’m a big believer in the format, with guaranteed matches and guaranteed prize money,” he said.
It’s been a breakout stretch for Fearnley, who surged into the ATP Top 100 after claiming four ATP Challenger titles in a single season.
He’s one of 33 men with UTR PTT experience competing in this year’s qualifying or main draw.
Another name to watch is Learner Tien. The American arrives in Melbourne riding a wave of momentum after capturing the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals title. He’s seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time - No. 25 - and will open against fellow American and former UTR PTT competitor Marcos Giron.
The women’s draw is just as stacked with UTR PTT talent. Leading the charge is No. 29 seed Iva Jovic, who made her mark at the UTR PTT Newport Beach event back in 2022.
She opens her Australian Open campaign against Katie Volynets in what’s shaping up to be a compelling all-PTT matchup. Volynets, a former UTR PTT finalist, is still looking for her first main-draw win in Melbourne (0-3) and will be hungry to change that narrative.
The full list of UTR PTT alumni in this year’s Australian Open reads like a who’s who of rising stars and battle-tested grinders. On the women’s side, names like Yuliia Starodubtseva, McCartney Kessler, and Taylah Preston are all in the mix. On the men’s side, keep an eye on players like Zach Svajda, Michael Zheng, and Ben Shelton - all of whom have used the PTT as a springboard to the big stage.
Here’s a look at the full roster of current and former UTR PTT players competing in Melbourne:
Women
- Iva Jovic
- Katie Volynets
- Yuliia Starodubtseva
- McCartney Kessler
- Oksana Selekhmeteva
- Oleksandra Oliynykova
- Darja Semenistaja
- Taylah Preston
- Maya Joint
- Kimberly Birrell
- Taylor Townsend
- Darja Vidmanova
- Iryna Shymanovich
- Alina Charaeva
- Carole Monnet
- Teodora Kostovic
- Carson Branstine
- Gabriela Knutson
- Cadence Brace
- Anouk Koevermans
- Arina Rodionova
- Carol Young Suh Lee
- Anastasia Gasanova
- Alice Tubello
- Justina Mikulskyte
- Mary Stoiana
- Mingge Xu
- Tara Wuerth
- Destanee Aiava
- Elena Micic
- Tahlia Kokkinis
- Stefani Webb
- Olivia Gadecki
Men
- Adam Walton
- Zach Svajda
- Michael Zheng
- Tristan Schoolkate
- Jacob Fearnley
- Learner Tien
- Ethan Quinn
- Ben Shelton
- Dane Sweeny
- Martin Damm
- Alex Michelsen
- Nishesh Basavareddy
- Brandon Holt
- Billy Harris
- Colton Smith
- Juan Pablo Ficovich
- Tristan Boyer
- Joao Lucas Reis da Silva
- Oliver Crawford
- James McCabe
- Jack Pinnington Jones
- Pablo Llamas Ruiz
- Murphy Cassone
- Luka Pavlovic
- Dmitry Popko
- Genaro Alberto Olivieri
- Benjamin Hassan
- Moerani Bouzige
- Marc Polmans
- Blake Ellis
- Philip Sekulic
- Edward Winter
- Pavle Marinkov
This kind of representation underscores just how much the UTR PTT has become a key part of the tennis development ecosystem. It’s not just a stepping stone - it’s a launchpad.
And if the early rounds in Melbourne are any indication, the next wave of stars isn’t just coming. They’re already here.