Australian Open | American Round-Up – Emma Navarro and Sofia Kenin surprised in first round

The second day of the Australian Open was full of action for the Americans — on a day marked by the early exit of former champion Sofia Kenin, who this time came in as the 27th seed but failed to take advantage of her ranking and was defeated by Peyton Stearns.

Another painful defeat came for world No. 15 and 2025 quarterfinalist Emma Navarro, who fell to former semifinalist Magda Linette. The Americans also enjoyed a couple of bright spots, thanks to a hard-fought victory from Ann Li and an impressive triumph by McCartney Kessler.

2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin (No. 30) continues with a hesitant start to the year and suffered a defeat in her Australian Open debut against compatriot Peyton Stearns (No. 68) by a convincing 6–3, 6–2. This marks Kenin’s third consecutive loss in a match highlighted by Stearns’ service efficiency — winning an impressive 86% of first-serve points and hitting a total of 15 aces, making her nearly untouchable for Kenin.

The former Grand Slam champion also did not reach her usual level, although partly due to Stearns’ merit. Kenin only managed 9 winners compared to 33 from Stearns, while committing 19 unforced errors against just 14 from her rival. Stearns was especially sharp in critical points, securing 4 breaks in 7 opportunities, while Kenin wasted her only chance of the match. In the second round, Stearns will face 20-year-old Croatian Petra Marcinko (No. 77).

Another tough blow for the American contingent came with Emma Navarro’s (No. 15) defeat to Polish player Magda Linette (No. 50), who turned a tight match around 3–6, 6–3, 6–3. Navarro quickly gained control in the first set with an early break and maintained the lead throughout that opening segment, taking it 6–3.

However, things were not going to be so easy. Linette gradually wrested control of the match. With 88% of first-serve points won (compared to just 43% for Navarro), the Pole remained more consistent in a second set with few opportunities for either player. A single break was enough for Linette to take the set 6–3 and put Navarro under pressure.

After an even start in the third set, Navarro held a 3–2 lead but ultimately deflated against a determined Linette, who took the last four games consecutively to close the match 3–6, 6–3, 6–3. Linette — a 2023 Australian Open semifinalist — will face American Ann Li in the second round. For Navarro, the loss will be particularly painful, as she was defending the quarterfinal points from last year and could even drop out of the top 20 by the end of the tournament.

Good news for the Americans came from Ann Li (No. 38), who survived a tough battle against Colombia’s Camila Osorio (No. 84). The American — who has struggled with injuries in recent years — started 2026 strongly with a 6–4, 6–7(5), 7–5 victory after more than two and a half hours on court.

The 24-year-old secured the first set without major issues and was close to winning in straight sets. However, she faced a resilient Osorio, who saved up to three match points in the second set and took it to a tiebreak, leveling the match. In the third set, Ann Li again wasted three match points while serving at 5–3, and it seemed Osorio might complete a miraculous comeback. Li, however, recovered in the final part of the match and secured the victory with a last-minute break, advancing to the second round — where she will look to avenge Navarro’s defeat against Magda Linette.

World No. 37 McCartney Kessler faced a tricky opponent in Colombia’s Emiliana Arango (No. 51), who is used to giving tough battles on tour. However, the American was superior from the start, with a double break early on that allowed her to move ahead 4–1. While Arango showed resistance in the first set — earning two breaks — Kessler quickly regained control each time and closed the set 6–3, despite not being fully impressive on serve.

In the second set, things quickly tilted further in favor of the American, who was much more in control than in the first set. She improved from winning just 53% of points on her first serve to 80%, making it too difficult for the Colombian to keep pace. Kessler again took an early break to play without pressure, maintained her composure to close out the match on her serve, and added a second break for a 6–3, 6–2 win. In the second round, she will face the winner between Jessica Pegula (No. 6) and Anastasia Zakharova (No. 103).