AO '26 Day 1 Recap: Venus’ heartbreaking loss, ESPN angers tennis fans, Alcaraz tested early

The 2026 Australian Open started a bit rough for many U.S. fans who were hit with an unexpected paywall preventing them from streaming all the Australian Open matches. To make matters worse, Venus Williams suffered a heartbreaking first round defeat to Olga Danilovic after holding a big lead in the third set. Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were tested but advanced in straight sets.