Australian Open 2024 draw: live coverage, match-ups, seedings, full schedule men’s and women’s
The Australian Open draw has served up a smorgasbord of first-round blockbusters to go with a rough start for a number of Australian players.
Tennis
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tennis. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Australian Open draw has served up its fair share of first-round blockbusters to go with a rough start for a number of Australian players.
Here’s a look at the 10 must-see matches in the first couple of days at Melbourne Park from Sunday.
7-STEFANOS TSITSIPAS (GREECE) V MATTEO BERRETTINI (ITALY)
What a match up between these two heart throbs? Tsitsipas has a cult following among the Melbourne Greek community after reaching the final last year while Berrettino is the Italian poster boy also chasing his first grand slam after coming oh so close at Wimbledon in 2021.
10-ALEX DE MINAUR (AUSTRALIA) V MILOS RAONIC (CANADA)
The first Aussie male to make the top 10 rankings since Lleyton Hewitt almost two decades ago, ‘the Demon’ is in great form after toppling Novak Djokovic in a lead-up tournament but faces a testing first round encounter. A former world No.3 who made the Wimbledon final in 2016, Raonic has fallen down the rankings because of injuries but remains one of the biggest servers in the game so the Aussie will have to be patient.
ANDY MURRAY (BRITAIN) V 30-TOMAS ETCHEVERRY (ARGENTINA)
Every time Sir Andy steps onto the court at Melbourne Park is worth savouring. The Scot is as brave as they come and with a bit of luck he might have already been an Australian Open champion but has had to settle for five lost finals. Like most Latin Americans, Etcheverry is a dangerous baseliner who will play for hours so put the kettle on and settle in for a long contest.
2-CARLOS ALCARAZ (SPAIN) V RICHARD GASQUET (FRANCE)
No Rafa Nadal, no worries. Alcaraz is as big a drawcard as anyone in the game right now. He’s only made two brief visits to the Australian Open – failing to make it past the third round – but with titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, he has the game to go deep this time so don’t miss a moment of him in action.
1-IGA SWIATEK (POLAND) V SOFIA KENIN (USA)
Any hope Ash Barty’s successor as world No. 1 might have had for an easy start to her Australian Open ended when Swiatek drew Kenin, the 2020 champion first up. Kenin has struggled since reaching the French Open final in 2020, sliding down the rankings, but is back in the top 40 now and a dangerous floater.
DANIELLE COLLINS (USA) V ANGELIQUE KERBER (GERMANY)
Two showstoppers. Collins had the whole of Australia against her when she played – and lost – to Barty in the 2022 final at Rod Laver Arena but she’ll have more supporters this time although Kerber is a bit of a crowd favourite. She won the tournament in 2016 and has returned to the professional circuit after starting a family.
ALJA TOMLJANOVIC (AUSTRALIA) V PAETRA MARTIC (CROATIA)
Tomljanovic hasn’t had much luck in Melbourne in the past, withdrawing from last year’s event with a knee injury that sidelined her for most of 2023. She needed a protected ranking to get entry into the main draw this time but as a three-time grand slam quarter-finalist, she’s a formidable player at her best.
3-ELENA RYBAKINA (KAZAKHSTAN) V KAROLINA PLISKOVA (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Another crackerjack meeting that could have been a final in another time. Wimbledon champion in 2022 and Australian Open runner-up last year, Rybakina is one of the favourites this time but Pliskova is no pushover, reaching finals in London and New York.
NAOMI OSAKA (JAPAN) V 16-CAROLINE GARCIA (SPAIN)
Playing her first grand slam since taking 2023 off to give birth to her daughter, this is a tricky opener for Osaka, who has won the Australian Open twice already. She’s a magnet for attention so expect her to be on centre court with plenty of eyes watching her return.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI (DENMARK) V 20-MAGDA LINETTE (POLAND)
Another mum on the comeback trail, Wozniacki won her only grand slam singles title at Rod Laver Arena in 2018 so is a star Down Under. She was out of the game for almost three years before storming into the fourth round on her return at the US Open late last year, losing to eventual champion Coco Gauff.
Demon’s tough open blow, aussie women cop rough draws
By Julian Linden
Australian giantkiller Alex De Minaur has been spared an early blockbuster showdown with Novak Djokovic at the first grand slam of 2024 in Melbourne.
De Minaur upset Djokovic at the United Cup last week to break into the top 10 rankings for the first time but won’t face the world number one until at least the Australian Open semi-finals, if both of them get that far.
De Minaur, in the second half of the 128 player men’s draw, has a difficult first round clash with big-serving Milos Raonic while Djokovic, in the top quarter of the draw as he chases a record 25th grand slam title, will face either a qualifier or a lucky loser.
Djokovic’s biggest challenge for the title, Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz, drew veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Alcarez is in the bottom half so can’t meet his Serbian rival until the final.
World No.3 Daniil Medvedev got an as yet unnamed qualifier while last year’s runner up Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Italian Matteo Berrettini first up.
Seeded 10th, De Minaur is bidding to become the first Australian to win the men’s title since 1976 and while Raonic is a testing assignment, things start to open up.
The first time he could meet a player ranked above him is in the round of 16 where he could face Russian Andrey Rublev, who the Australian has beaten three times.
But things could get harder very quickly after that with Jannick Sinner waiting in the quarters then Djokovic in the semis.
The Australian Open starts on Sunday.
The women’s draw also threw up some intriguing first round match ups.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek of Poland was drawn against American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, who is currently unseeded.
The winner of that match will play either Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion, or Danielle Collins, who was runner-up to Ash Barty when she won the tournament in 2022.
Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, playing her first grand slam since giving birth to her daughter last year, drew Carolina Garcia of France.
Last year’s runner-up Elena Rybakina got a tricky first round in Czech Karolina Pliskova, a semi-finalist in 2019, while the defending champion Aryna Sabalenka got a lucky break when she drew a qualifier.
1.45PM: FULL MEN’S, WOMEN’S DRAW REVEALED
#AusOpen Men's Singles draw: pic.twitter.com/82Qw2LzrXx
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 11, 2024
#AusOpen Women's Singles Draw: pic.twitter.com/2pKCL9WmCm
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 11, 2024
1.30PM: FULL AUSSIE MEN’S FIRST-ROUND CLASHES
1.25PM: DEMON’S TRICKY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP
Australia’s Alex de Minaur has not been dealt any favours despite entering the Australian Open with his highest career ranking and seeding.
The world No.10 will face the dangerous former World No.3 Milos Raonic in his first-round clash, with the big-serving Canadian presenting a very tricky first-up offering.
Meanwhile, Jordan Thompson takes on fellow Australian Aleksandar Vukic – with a potential second-round clash against popular seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
1.20PM: AUSSIE WOMEN HIT HARD AT DRAW
It has been a tough old day for the Australian women.
Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic will face Croatia’s Petra Martic in her opening match, but elsewhere it was carnage.
Taylah Preston and Kim Birrell have landed seeded players Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko, while Oliva Gadecki gets the dangerous floater Sloane Stephens.
1.10PM: OSAKA LANDS BLOCKBUSTER FIRST-ROUND
Naomi Osaka makes her return to Australia with a blockbuster first-round match against 16th seed Caroline Garcia.
Another highlight of the first-round matches will by Angelique Kerber and the USA’s Danielle Collins.
The winner there would likely face Swiatek – should she get past Kenin
“It’s stacked with either Australian Open champions or finalists,” says former Australian star Casey Dellacqua.
“It’s a mouth-watering section in terms of past champions and women’s who have had great success in Australia.”
Here’s a look at how the quarter-finals could look like if results are as expected.
#AusOpen projected QFs
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 11, 2024
[1] Swiatek vs. [7] Vondrousova
[3] Rybakina vs. [5] Pegula
[4] Gauff vs. [8] Sakkari
[2] Sabalenka vs. [6] Jabeur
1.05PM: SWIATEK’S HORROR FIRST ROUND DRAW
That is an absolute nightmare draw for the women’s favourite, Iga Swiatek, who draws 2020 champion Sofia Kenin as her first-round match.
Kenin loomed as one of the most dangerous floaters on the women’s side of the draw along with fellow former champion Naomi Osaka and the likes of Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki.
But Kenin, the former World No.4, is not a name you want to see first up – despite her unimpressive recent results.
12PM: INJURY CURSE HAMPERS HISTORY-CHASING NOVAK
Novak Djokovic is once again red-hot favourite at the Australian Open as he chases an unprecedented 25th grand slam title, but a wrist problem and the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz puts his all-conquering reign under threat.
The 36-year-old from Serbia defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in last year’s final for a record-extending 10th Melbourne crown then added the French and US Open titles to his collection in 2023.
But he lost a pulsating Wimbledon final to Alcaraz, who is a different player to the one that last graced the Australian hard courts as an 18-year-old ranked outside the top 30.
THE FULL DRAW AND BRACKETS WILL BE REVEALED AT 1PM
The 20-year-old missed last year’s event with a hamstring injury and arrives this time as a two-time major champion, world No.2 – behind Djokovic – and the brightest young star in tennis.Rafael Nadal, Djokovic’s long-time rival, on Sunday pulled out of the Australian Open with a muscle tear in a fresh blow to the veteran’s hopes of returning to the top of the sport.
Nadal’s fellow Spaniard Alcaraz opted to skip a warm-up tournament for the opening grand slam of the year, making his 2024 form a mystery.
Djokovic will begin his defence with an injury cloud hanging over him, needing treatment on his right wrist through both matches of the United Cup – including a loss to Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is in scintillating form as she seeks a maiden Australian Open crown, but she could face a stiff test from defending champion Aryna Sabalenka while two-time winner Naomi Osaka is making her comeback.
World number one Swiatek has won 17 of her 18 matches since she lost in the fourth round of her US Open title defence, going on to win the China Open and the WTA Finals.
The Pole has started the new season with a flourish, winning all five of her singles at the United Cup last week.
Aussie Ajla ends winning drought
There are now two Aussie women in the world’s top 100 after Ajla Tomljanovic snared a title in Hong Kong.
Tennis world floored by ‘chilling’ Dokic reveal
Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic has a new documentary out and fans have labelled the glimpse into her career raw and chilling.