Alex de Minaur is set for a challenging start to the Australian Open, having drawn Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round. De Minaur, eager to impress the home crowd in Melbourne, might face formidable contender Stefanos Tsitsipas early in the tournament. Currently ranked eighth among seeds, de Minaur must navigate past opponents like Francisco Cerundolo and potentially Tsitsipas to advance further. De Minaur’s record includes recent grand slam quarter-finals, raising expectations for a breakthrough at this year’s tournament.
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios is dealing with an abdominal strain that cast doubts on his participation, although he is slated to compete against Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. Rising Australian tennis star, Emerson Jones, faces a daunting debut against Elena Rybakina, a former Wimbledon champion. On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, will play against the former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, as she aims to join the ranks of tennis legends by achieving a title hat-trick. Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner begins his campaign against Nicolas Jarry, while Novak Djokovic seeks to make history with a potential 25th grand slam title.
