Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Azarenka seemingly set to miss Australian Open as Jennifer Brady set to return

With the release of the Australian Open qualifying entry lists today came a few further talking points on the WTA sides with multiple returns but a few high profile absentees.

Victoria Azarenka, the two time Australian Open champion is not on the list for the qualifying list and unless she receives the last remaining wildcard, she will not play at the 2026 Australian Open.

She hasn't played since the third round of the US Open when she lost out to Jessica Pegula. Azarenka has slumped all the way from being top 20 for a long time to being World No.132 so would have to enter qualifying or receive wildcards to get into tournaments next year.

Given she is a legendary figure in the women's game, she is more likely to receive wildcards for tournaments over the next year and given that she had a form slump prior to her previous revival, she has the tools to return to her best.

Azarenka won the title in back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013. However it has been a challenging year as she has played just 12 tournaments in 2025 and has fallen outside top 100 for the first time in seven years.

She would miss the tournament for the first time since 2020 if she doesn't receive a wildcard and the 36-year-old is now at a crossroads as to her future. The same can be said albeit over ten years younger than Azarenka in the form of Bianca Andreescu.

Andreescu has faced many injury problems since winning the US Open in 2019 and is currently the world number 228. She has been seen training in videos for the new season but may choose to play lower level to build her ranking back up albeit this would perhaps fly in the face of her saying that it was a blow to her ego to play in qualifying before.

Albeit she has played lower level and did so after not qualifying for the French Open so it is certainly in the realms that she does.

“It is certainly a blow to the ego, but I have to put that to one side. It was many years ago that I won the US Open, and so much has happened since then. I still have big ambitions. I know what I can accomplish," said Andreescu earlier this year.

“So finding that balance of being patient and being that go-getter that I am to try and get back to the top is a bit tricky. The problem is that I have been so on and off (with injuries) that I don’t have much rhythm in my playing style. That is going to be a big thing to get back to the top.

“In tennis, it’s literally a point here, a point there, and if you can really sharpen those instincts during those times, I think it’ll make a great difference, but it’s definitely not easy for sure.”

Caroline Dolehide, Jil Teichmann, Aoi Ito, Irina-Camelia Begu, Anca Todoni, Rebecca Marino, Daria Saville, Clervie Ngounoue, Petra Martic, Robin Montgomery, and Wakana Sonobe who are all also ranked high enough to play qualifying have not entered. While two returns are set.

Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens who dabbled in returning to the sport at the end of this season will return after seven months out, while Jennifer Brady who famously reached the final in this event previously will make another comeback after being plagued by injury.

Not really planned it seems, she has been still involved in tennis though of sorts with the American being part of the successful Players Box podcast with Jessica Pegula, Desirae Krawczyk and Madison Keys in recent months. But it seems at least momentarily she will join her friends back on tour to play in Australia and test herself in qualifying.