Australian Open 2026: ‘Life-changing’ Iga Swiatek match awaits Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis

Inglis, who has been plying her trade in the tier below the WTA Tour, might have been handed a walkover, but she’s unlikely to be feeling rusty when she faces Swiatek.

She has been playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles – alongside her fiance Jason Kubler – and spent 16 hours and 12 minutes on court over the past 12 days.

“Once you get out there and playing, and you want it so bad, it’s crazy what you can do,” Inglis said.

Second seed Swiatek, in comparison, has played just over five hours of tennis – a heavy workload by her own standards.

The Pole has endured a mixed start to the tournament as she bids to complete the career Grand Slam.

Swiatek squeezed past 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya with an error-strewn performance on Saturday, while she grappled with her serve and committed 34 unforced errors in her first-round match against Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.

Inglis, too, has also had to battle her way through the early rounds.

Four of her five singles matches – across both qualifying and the main draw – have gone to three sets, while she’s played six tie-breaks.

And her emotion spilled out when she beat Germany’s Laura Siegemund in a marathon second-round match, falling to the court in tears after more than three hours of play.

“I haven’t been in the main draw of a Grand Slam for a long time,” Inglis said after that victory.

“To be in a Grand Slam in Melbourne – it’s my favourite tournament. My family is here. Jason was right there. To be able to share the wins with them is crazy and so special.

“I’m just going to soak it all in. It’s not every day you’re in the third round of a Grand Slam.”

Reaching the fourth round is rarer still, and the quarter-finals would be bordering on a fairytale.