Defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin his bid for a third straight Australian Open title against French world number 94 Hugo Gaston after the draw was made at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
The Italian top seed is eyeing another deep run at Melbourne Park, where he has dominated in recent years, while women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka opens her campaign against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga.
Men’s second seed Carlos Alcaraz faces world number 79 Adam Walton of Australia as the Spaniard targets his first Australian Open crown. Victory in Melbourne would make Alcaraz the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.
Fourth seed Novak Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, was paired with Spain’s Pedro Martinez in the opening round. The Serb is chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and could meet Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final showdown against Sinner looming.
Sinner appears to have a favourable opening week, though fans are eager for a possible third-round clash with 28th seed Joao Fonseca, provided the talented 19-year-old Brazilian recovers fully from recent back issues. “The draw is very difficult, it doesn’t matter who you play,” Sinner said. “We are the best players in the world and the way is very, very long.”Alcaraz’s quarter of the draw also includes Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur, who faces a challenging first-round test against former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, setting the stage for an intriguing start to the year’s first Grand Slam.
