Jannik Sinner is heavily favored to win this first-round matchup against Hugo Gaston, with the defending Australian Open champion expected to dominate the French world number 94. Sinner's odds of approximately 1.05 reflect his status as the tournament favorite and two-time defending champion, while Gaston sits at around 8.50 odds. With DexWin - Best Odds on Your Favourite Sports, you can find competitive pricing on this heavily one-sided encounter.

The match begins on Saturday, January 18, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC, which converts to 1:00 PM AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) on the same day at Melbourne Park.

The match will be played at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, home of the Australian Open and featuring multiple courts including the iconic Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne Park is located in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct and serves as the venue for one of tennis's four Grand Slam tournaments.

Jannik Sinner is predicted to win decisively with moneyline odds of 1.05, as he seeks his third consecutive Australian Open title and fifth Grand Slam overall. The Italian is in peak form on hard courts and has drawn an extremely favorable path through his quarter of the draw, with analysts predicting he will reach the semi-finals with ease and potentially win the entire tournament.

While specific head-to-head records between Sinner and Gaston are not detailed in available information, Sinner's dominance as the world's best hard-court player and defending two-time champion gives him an overwhelming advantage. Gaston, ranked 94th in the world, has never advanced past the first round at Melbourne and faces an extremely difficult opening-round assignment against the tournament favorite.