Borges v Auger-Aliassime: where to watch live stream for Australian Open opener

Felix Auger-Aliassime begins his Australian Open ATP campaign against Nuno Borges on hard courts on 18 Jan 2026, with the opening-round match scheduled as a best-of-five.

With the 2026 season only in its third week, the numbers are still settling, but the early signals are clear: Auger-Aliassime arrives as the higher-ranked player and the bookmakers' choice. This preview also explains how to watch or follow the match live, alongside the key form and match-up angles.

Auger-Aliassime has the only H2H win

They have met once, and Auger-Aliassime leads 1-0 after a 2-1 win in Dubai on 26 Feb 2025. That match went the distance and stretched to 31 games, a reminder that Borges has already pushed him deep on a hard court. The serve-return profile was tight too, but Auger-Aliassime held more often (88% to 80%) and won a bigger share behind both first and second serve.

Borges' early hard-court return pop

On hard courts this season Borges is 3-2, while Auger-Aliassime is 1-1, a small sample that fits the wider sense of a campaign only just getting going. Still, Borges' return numbers stand out at 50% of return games won, which points to frequent pressure even when matches tighten. His average match length on tour this year has been 23.2 games, so patience may matter in a five-set format.

Watch Nuno Borges v. Felix Auger-Aliassime Live Online

For reliable live streaming of this match, we recommend signing up with bet365. Please note that this service is strictly for users aged 18+ who maintain a funded account. Due to broadcasting rights, geo-restrictions may apply, so we advise checking the schedule to confirm availability in your location. In our experience, this is the premier option for watching the entire tennis season.

Recent form is close, margins are not

Across the last 10 matches Auger-Aliassime is 6-4 and Borges is 5-5, with both posting an identical 86% rate of service games held. First sets have been level as well, at 40% won for each, so fast starts have not been a clear separator. The difference has come late: Auger-Aliassime has won 100% of deciding sets in that spell, while Borges sits at 67%.

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Bookmakers make Auger-Aliassime clear favourite

Bookmakers price Auger-Aliassime at 1.29 against Borges at 3.75; first-set prices are 1.44 versus 2.75. The market is pointing firmly towards the higher-ranked player, even with the season still in its early weeks.

Five sets puts second serves under heat

Auger-Aliassime's ranking edge is stark, at world No 7 against No 46, and the lone previous meeting suggests he can win the key points without needing a quick match. Borges, though, has shown more bite on return in the early hard-court numbers, and that offers a pathway to keep sets close if he can sustain it over time.

Workload is similar rather than lopsided: Borges has played 5 hours 19 minutes across his last three matches, while Auger-Aliassime is at 4 hours 21 minutes, and both come in without a back-to-back run. In week three of a new season, that balance could matter if this one drifts long.

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