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Andy Parker · Club Coach

Potential GB women in Aus Open qualifying

foobarbaz · Club Coach

Emerson Jones is the first Aussie recipient of a wildcard into the AO 2026 Main draw it was announced at the weekend. Jones won the Australian Pro Tour Wildcard Points Race that has been taking place over the last month or so. Also earning an AO Main draw wildcard is Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan for winning the AO Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off finals in Chengdu on Saturday. Dyas currently has a live WTA ranking of #282 with 242 points. Previously, Elizabeth Mandlik was announced as US wildcard recipient for AO 2026. This leaves five singles wildcards still to be announced for the womens Main draw, one of which France's wildcard recipient for AO 2026, and the remaining 4 being discretionary awards by the Aussie tennis association.

(source: ausopen.com/articles/news/wildcard-weekend-jones-duckworth-diyas-bu-set-ao-2026-main-draw)

Emerson Jones has had a good run these last 2 months, culminating in taking the Playford W75 title last week. In that time she has played 23 matches, winning 19 and losing 4 (one was a retirement). The losses were to 2 Aussies (Olivia Gadaecki, and Talia Gibson), Zarazua (Mexico), and our very own Katie Swan in the Brisbane W50 (current live ranking #274 with 253 points).

I reckon Talia Gibson will receive one of those discretionary wildcards, she won the Sydney W75 tournament 2weeks ago beating Jones in the final. I'm not convinced that the remaining 3 discretionary wildcards will all go to Aussie's.

Taylah Preston [20yr old Aussie, currently live ranked #197] has shone brightly in the last 3 months over the Australian tennis swing, and I think she could well be awarded one of them. Katie Swan has beaten her twice in that time period, one of those being the semi-final on Brisbane W35 arena court, which was a really high-class contest.

-- Edited by foobarbaz on Wednesday 3rd of December 2025 07:56:50 PM

paulisi · Tennis legend

I'm pretty confident Mimi will make it.
She has a tournament next week as back up, but another win will pretty much do it.
Lily will have to wait and see.

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Mimi has 312 points now, with a live ranking of 233, so with 5 Aussie wildcards, she is close to making the cut right now. I would also like to see one more win for her, to definitively seal this, but she is very close right now - some great results for her lately and a great end of season.

I think Lily is too far away, unless she gets any more points.

Var · Futures level

Andy Parker wrote:
Mimi has 312 points now, with a live ranking of 233, so with 5 Aussie wildcards, she is close to making the cut right now. I would also like to see one more win for her, to definitively seal this, but she is very close right now - some great results for her lately and a great end of season.

I think Lily is too far away, unless she gets any more points.

Not trying to raise hopes, however Mimi is the only seed left in the competition (7).

indiana · Tennis legend

It is looking good for Mimi to make qualifying

Meantime, though, with this the last week before Monday's rankings MD cut-off, Katie B has today dropped a place to live ranked 104.

Live rankings is showing that 3 further players could overtake her this week from the Quito and Angers WTA 125s that have their QFs tomorrow.

Quito: Leolia Jeanjean will overtake Katie B if she wins her QF against Veronika Erjavec ( Erjavec is the player that overtook Katie today so she can keep winning now ).

Angers: Kamilla Rakhimova and Zeynep Sonmez would each have to reach the final to overtake Katie. As they are in opposite halves it is possible that both could.

LordBrownof · Challenger qualifying

On Katie, other than Ons, who is pregnant, I'm not sure there'll be many withdrawals ahead of her. Not aware of any major injuries that weren't really about shutting down the season early.

Also, I've just noticed that Fran is only a few places below Sonay in the rankings, which, as a big women's tennis fan, I had somehow completely passed by. Fantastic!

Lambda · Top national player

I might be alone in this but I think I would prefer Katie to play qualifying. She could do with a few wins for the ranking points and to build some confidence going into the new season. I recognise there's a chance she could lose in the opening qualifying round but I'd hope there's less chance of that then drawing a seed in the main draw.

DF · Tennis legend

If Katie is injured then she should not be competeing in the AO at all.

wolf · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
I might be alone in this but I think I would prefer Katie to play qualifying. She could do with a few wins for the ranking points and to build some confidence going into the new season. I recognise there's a chance she could lose in the opening qualifying round but I'd hope there's less chance of that then drawing a seed in the main draw.

She can achieve the same thing by playing in Hobart...

DF · Tennis legend

Andy Parker wrote:
Mimi has 312 points now, with a live ranking of 233, so with 5 Aussie wildcards, she is close to making the cut right now. I would also like to see one more win for her, to definitively seal this, but she is very close right now - some great results for her lately and a great end of season.

Mimi lost in the semi final so is stuck this week on 312 points. The cut off for AO 2025 qualifying was 226.

She is entered for the W35 in Egypt next week hoping for some more points. There are so many variables that are unknown

at the moment (eg players with SR in MD and QD and who will have to withdraw for any reason). Best of luck Mimi.

indiana · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
It is looking good for Mimi to make qualifying

Meantime, though, with this the last week before Monday's rankings MD cut-off, Katie B has today dropped a place to live ranked 104.

Live rankings is showing that 3 further players could overtake her this week from the Quito and Angers WTA 125s that have their QFs tomorrow.

Quito: Leolia Jeanjean will overtake Katie B if she wins her QF against Veronika Erjavec ( Erjavec is the player that overtook Katie today so she can keep winning now ).

Angers: Kamilla Rakhimova and Zeynep Sonmez would each have to reach the final to overtake Katie. As they are in opposite halves it is possible that both could.

With Jeanjean and Rakhimova winning, and Sonmez losing, Katie will now be at best WR 105 on Monday. She will be WR 106 if Rakhimova wins her SF.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

DF wrote:
Andy Parker wrote:
Mimi has 312 points now, with a live ranking of 233, so with 5 Aussie wildcards, she is close to making the cut right now. I would also like to see one more win for her, to definitively seal this, but she is very close right now - some great results for her lately and a great end of season.

Mimi lost in the semi final so is stuck this week on 312 points. The cut off for AO 2025 qualifying was 226.
She is entered for the W35 in Egypt next week hoping for some more points. There are so many variables that are unknown
at the moment (eg players with SR in MD and QD and who will have to withdraw for any reason). Best of luck Mimi.

Mimi pulls out of Egypt and Tunisia , season over for her.

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Rakhimova has won the Angers semi-final and so jumps above Katie - Katie finishes at 106 for the Aussie Open. With Jabeur out, she might be first alternate, but with protected rankings etc, we shall just have to wait and see.

It's going to be close for Mimi too, I think.

the addict · Tennis legend

Also out (of qualfying) is Daria Saville WR203, who is pregnant.
Fingers crossed for Katie and Mimi.