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More Than 300 Young Guns Descend on Melbourne for Australian Junior Open

Published Sun 12 Apr 2026

The 2026 Australian Junior Open is officially underway, with day one at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre delivering a full programme of action across all age groups as more than 300 players from ten nations took to the courts for the first time.

From the youngest competitors in the Under 11 divisions through to the Under 19s, Sunday's opening round saw athletes start their campaign for junior squash glory. 

Boys and girls draws alike were in full swing across the day, with matches in the Under 11, Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 categories all providing a first glimpse of who the players to watch will be as the week progresses.

The tournament, being held at Albert Park for the first time as a Silver-status event on the 2026 Asian Junior Super Series, has attracted a formidable international contingent, with New Zealand fielding a powerful presence across multiple age groups and players from further afield adding depth to what is already a compelling field. 

Australian hopefuls were well represented throughout the draws, with home crowd support adding an extra edge to proceedings on the courts.

With many top seeds enjoying a bye before Round 2, attention now turns to Monday, where the tournament's contenders will begin to emerge. The Australian talent to look out for includes Jackson Wylie (U19 Boys top seed), Sarbani Maitra (U19 Girls top seed), Joanne Joseph (U19 Girls #2 seed), Tina Ma (2025 AJC U17 Girls champion) and Kasper Cheung (2025 AJC U17 Boys champion). 

For the schedule and results of the 2026 Australian Junior Open, click here.

To watch replays of the day one matches, click here.

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