The extremely anticipated Australian Open draw was launched on Thursday, setting the stage for a possible epic showdown between two of the best rivals of all time – Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
The two titans of the court docket, each of whom boast a formidable 43 Grand Slam singles titles between them, have been positioned on reverse halves of the bracket, making a possible match-up within the remaining at Melbourne Park a tantalizing prospect.
Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns to the hard-court event after lacking it final 12 months when his visa was revoked and he was deported from the nation as a result of he isn’t vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19. He additionally couldn’t compete on the 2022 U.S. Open.
Fourth-seeded Djokovic will open his bid for a tenth Australian Open title in opposition to Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena within the event which begins Monday.
Iga Swiatek, the ladies’s No. 1-ranked participant, takes on German Jule Niemeier, who’s ranked No.68, within the opening spherical. The Polish participant was a semifinalist at Melbourne Park in 2022, a 12 months by which she gained the French and U.S. Open titles.
But the principle first-round focus might be on Nadal, who faces a doubtlessly difficult match in opposition to British participant Jack Draper. Draper, who’s 21, was a semifinalist within the Next Gen Championships in November and also will play in a semifinal of the Adelaide International on Friday.
Another opening-round spotlight has five-time Australian Open finalist Andy Murray in opposition to Italian Matteo Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist who’s the No. 13-seeded participant.
The potential males’s quarterfinals by seeding are: Nadal vs. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev in what can be a rematch of final 12 months’s remaining at Melbourne Park, gained by Nadal after dropping the preliminary two units, and No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime within the prime half; and Djokovic vs. No. 5 Andrey Rublev, and No. 2 Casper Ruud vs. No. 8 Taylor Fritz within the backside half.
Nadal has a number one 22 Grand Slam singles titles, yet another than Djokovic.
Ons Jabeur, who reached each the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals in 2022, is seeded second and performs Tarama Zidansek within the girls’s draw.
No. 3 Jessica Pegula, who led the U.S. crew that claimed the blended groups United Cup in Sydney final week, faces Jacqueline Cristian from Romania within the first spherical.
Seventh-seeded Coco Gauff, who gained a event in Auckland final week, faces a troublesome first-round check in opposition to Katerina Siniakova, who defeated her within the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November.
The potential girls’s quarterfinals are: Swiatek vs. Gauff in what can be a rematch of final 12 months’s French Open remaining, gained by Swiatek, and Pegula vs. No. 6 Maria Sakkari within the prime half of the bracket; and Jabeur vs. No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka, and No. 4 Caroline Garcia vs. No. 8 Daria Kasatkina within the backside half.
Another huge first-round match is two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in opposition to Sofia Kenin, who gained the title at Melbourne Park in 2020.
