Five things to follow in final round of AO qualifying: Sloane Stephens' comeback, Coleman Wong's push

The final round of Australian Open qualifying is upon us. Sixteen men and sixteen women will complete the 128-player main draw fields when Thursday’s action concludes.

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Who is in the running? Here are five storylines to follow:

Sloane's comeback

After missing the final three majors of the 2025 season with a foot injury, former semifinalist Sloane Stephens looks to punch her ticket. Playing in the qualifying of a major for the first time since 2011 Wimbledon, the 2017 US Open title holder faces the No. 2 seed in the draw, Lucia Bronzetti.

American dreams

Stephens is one of 11 Americans hoping to grow the U.S. contingent chasing major hardware Down Under. Also among them? Taylor Townsend, who advanced to the round of 16 at last year’s US Open, and two-time reigning NCAA champion Michael Zheng. Townsend takes on wild card Storm Hunter, while Zheng meets No. 28 seed Lukas Klein.

Youthquake

Four of the eight men in December’s Next Gen ATP Finals field are a win away from qualifying, including Nishesh Basavareddy. The 20-year-old, who took a set off Novak Djokovic in his major debut last year at Melbourne Park, is coming off a double match point save. Rafael Jodar, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and Dino Prizmic also aim to advance.

Exclusive: Prizmic ready to make another Melbourne mark

Keeping it local

Four home favorites are due to take the court. All have proven to be unseeded floaters in qualifying, as each has previous main draw experience. In addition to Hunter, Maddison Inglis, Jason Kubler and Dane Sweeny represent the green and gold’s charge.

Passing shots

There are a handful of names with past Grand Slam successes to keep an eye on. Take Coleman Wong, who became the first man from Hong Kong win a major match during his third-round effort at the 2025 US Open. Or Tamara Zidansek, a semifinalist at Roland Garros nearly five years ago. Don’t forget Linda Fruhvirtova, who three years earlier reached the round of 16 here as a teenager. A new face to consider? Seventeen-year-old Lilli Tagger, the 2025 Roland Garros’ girls champion.