Francesca Jones delivered the upset of the day, stunning 15th-ranked Emma Navarro 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in Auckland's first round. Meanwhile, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro produced an equally shocking result at the United Cup, crushing fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-0 in a dominant display. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek survived a scare but ultimately prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Eva Lys in United Cup action.

Jones capitalizes on Navarro struggles

The 73rd-ranked Jones showcased impressive resilience to overcome Navarro in a three-set thriller that highlighted the American's ongoing struggles with consistency. Despite managing just a 59% first-serve win rate and committing six double faults, Jones found her rhythm in the decisive moments. The Briton saved six of 12 break points faced while converting six of her 13 opportunities against the Navarro serve.

Navarro, who has won 67% of her matches over the past 12 months, appeared to control proceedings after taking the second set convincingly. However, Jones' superior break point conversion proved decisive in the final set, as she capitalized on the 15th seed's 46% success rate on break points saved. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for Jones as she seeks to climb back up the rankings.

Bouzas Maneiro dominates deflated Gauff

Spain's Bouzas Maneiro produced one of the most emphatic performances of the day, overwhelming Gauff in a match that featured stark contrasts between the opening and closing sets. The 41st-ranked Spaniard won 61% of points behind her first serve while converting an exceptional nine of 12 break point opportunities.

Gauff's 75% break point conversion rate over the past year proved irrelevant as she managed to save just four of seven break points faced. The American's eight double faults compounded her difficulties, particularly brutal in the final set where she was completely overwhelmed. Despite briefly rallying to claim the second set in a tiebreak, Gauff was unable to maintain any momentum as Bouzas Maneiro closed out the match with a bagel set.

Swiatek survives early wobble

The Polish world No. 2 required all her championship mettle to overcome Lys after dropping the opening set. Swiatek's 54% first-serve win rate reflected her early struggles, but her experience in pressure situations ultimately proved decisive. She fired six aces while managing her double fault count to just two in the three-set encounter.

Swiatek converted eight of 18 break point opportunities while saving six of 13 break points faced, showcasing the fighting spirit that has defined her career. The victory keeps Poland's United Cup campaign alive, with Swiatek's 79% match win rate over the past 12 months remaining intact despite the early scare.

Frech survives Brisbane marathon

Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Magdalena Frech both secured upset victories in Brisbane's opening rounds. Sasnovich crushed Anna Blinkova 7-5, 6-1, winning 64% of first-serve points while converting seven of 14 break point chances. Frech survived a marathon against Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-6(0), saving an remarkable 17 of 19 break points faced in a defensive masterclass in a match which was a pure marathon, ending up after 3h 28 mins. Despite both players facing 50 pressure points during whole encounter, the Pole was on the front foot in all three sets. After taking the first one, Frech produced breakpoints in first three Vondrousova's service games in second set but could not capitalize from it. In 12th game of no less tight decider, the world number 59 had two matchpoints on her rival's serve, also not crossing the finish line. Resilience paid off in tiebreak, where Frech was solid rock to not give away any point to her more decorated opponent. It's a great start of 2026 season for the Pole who played quite a poor 2025 campaign, now kicking-off from a victory over top-50 ranked rival.

The upsets continue to shape the early tournament landscape, with several seeded players already eliminated across the week's WTA events. Attention now turns to the second rounds in Auckland and Brisbane, while United Cup action intensifies with crucial team matches ahead.