MELBOURNE, Australia — The stage is set for an electrifying Australian Open as last year’s titleholder, Jannik Sinner, and the legendary Novak Djokovic, who boasts an impressive ten titles here, find themselves in different halves of the draw, eliminating the chance for a repeat showdown in the semifinals.
In a thrilling victory last year, Sinner stunned Djokovic in the semifinals before triumphing against Daniil Medvedev in the final with a nail-biting scoreline of 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, marking his maiden Grand Slam singles title.
The top-seeded Sinner is gearing up for his first match against Nicolas Jarry, and his quarterball presents formidable opponents including Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Medvedev. Fritz will kick off his campaign against compatriot Jenson Brooksby.
Meanwhile, Djokovic could potentially clash with the rising star Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal against the second seed, Alexander Zverev.
During Thursday’s draw ceremony, the reigning champions Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka proudly held their trophies high as they entered the venue.
Sabalenka, who claimed her second consecutive title in Melbourne in 2024 defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2, is aiming for a historic third straight women’s singles title — a feat last achieved by the great Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
In her opening match, Sabalenka will face the formidable 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, along with youthful challengers Mirra Andreeva and Zheng in her section of the draw.
“Being back here as a two-time Australian Open champion is incredibly special,” said Sabalenka, fresh off her Brisbane International title victory last week. “I cherish so many memories and hope to continue my great run here in Australia.”
Third-seeded Coco Gauff could emerge as a semifinal rival for Sabalenka. Gauff faces a daunting first-round match against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, and she shares her draw section with the seventh seed, Jessica Pegula.
The Australian Open is set to commence on Sunday morning in Melbourne (Saturday night EST) and will span across 15 exciting days filled with world-class tennis.
In a new chapter of his career, Djokovic is set to compete under the guidance of his recently acquired coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion. While Djokovic remains the king of Melbourne Park with the most men’s titles, he candidly admitted to experiencing lingering trauma from that one year he was barred from play.
Australian star Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, is looking to make his return after withdrawing from an exhibition match against Djokovic due to an abdominal strain. If fit, Kyrgios will face Jacob Fearnley in the first round, situated in the same section as Zverev.
