Jessica Pegula defeated Mccartney Kessler 6–0, 6–2 in the first round of the Australian Open on hard court on 22 January 2026. As the clear pre-match favourite with odds of 1.23 to Kessler's 4.1, Pegula delivered an expected dominant performance, losing only two games across the opening set and four in total. The American's commanding display saw her advance comfortably to the second round, maintaining momentum as a seeded player in the early stages of the year's opening Grand Slam.