Jannik Sinner begins defence of his Australian Open title against Nicolas Jarry and women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka faces 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens as the draw for the year’s first Grand Slam was made at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic goes to the wire for his second Australian Open title in record time and 25th Grand Slam title against the US wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy, but he isn’t going to make it to the Melbourne Park final easily.
Third round: Djokovic may meet Reilly Opelka, the massive serving American who defeated the Serb in Brisbane this week, and quarterfinals: third seed Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz, the Spaniard who in 2024 added the French Open trophy to his collection, begins chasing the only Grand Slam he hasn’t won when he runs into Alexander Shevchenko.
Sinner, the world number one, will have to go for the fast stuff in a match with Chilean Jarry who thrashed the Italian in the first encounter back in 2019 and snuffed him out in three sets at Beijing last year.
No 2 seeds Iga Swiatek and Katerina Siniakova are vying for second spot and No 3 seed Coco Gauff is in early action against fellow American Sofia Kenin, 2020 Australian Open champion.
Runner-up Zheng Qinwen from the Paris Olympics is up against a qualifier first and in the quarterfinals will be pitted against Sabalenka.
Double Olympic champion Naomi Osaka is playing the Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia after their first round match last year saw the Japanese player fall to Garcia in straight sets a few days after returning to the tour from maternity leave.
The fitness of Osaka remains in doubt however after an abdominal injury meant she retired after sitting at the head of Clara Tauson in her first WTA final in almost three years in Auckland on Sunday.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, who’s battled injuries since his defeat to Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final, will play Jacob Fearnley but his return to Melbourne Park is a doubt following an abdominal strain.
The other Australian Alex de Minaur opens up against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, who dispatched Alcaraz at the US Open last year.
The main draw begins Sunday.