Alex de Minaur won’t have the chance to ease into the Australian Open, with a first-up date against Dutch dangerman Botic van de Zandschulp awaiting him.
Van de Zandschulp is a former world No.22 who upset Carlos Alcaraz at last year’s US Open, but his ranking suffered after dealing with several foot issues, including a bone bruise and an ankle sprain that included a ligament tear.
Nick Kyrgios starts against Brit Jacob Fearnley before a potential clash with No.18 seed Sebastian Baez, and could be on a third-round collision course with Alex Zverev.
Kyrgios played his first matches in 18 months in Brisbane last week after wrist surgery sidelined him, but is now trying to overcome an abdominal strain.
De Minaur is a top-eight seed at a grand slam for the first time and is projected to meet world No.1 Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals. Sinner has a tricky opener, too, against big-serving Chilean Nicolas Jarry.
Fellow Australians Alexei Popyrin (No.25) and Jordan Thompson (No.27) are also seeded in the men’s draw. Popyrin starts with France’s Corentin Moutet, while Thompson drew a qualifier, but there are much greater potential challenges on the horizon.
Alex de Minaur.Credit: AP
The two Australians’ respective third-round opponents are fifth seed and triple finalist Daniil Medvedev and Alcaraz.
It is the first time in 43 years that the host nation has had at least three seeded men’s players.
That trio are among 14 Australian men in contention, including Chris O’Connell, Aleks Vukic, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Rinky Hijikata, Adam Walton, James Duckworth and wildcards Tristan Schoolkate, Li Tu, Omar Jasika and James McCabe.
That number could swell to 15 if Blake Ellis can qualify.
Among the first-round highlights are clashes between 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex Michelsen; Matteo Berrettini and Cam Norrie; No.18 seed Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Arnaldi; and an all-French showdown with Gael Monfils and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Two of Australia’s brightest women’s talents will go head-to-head with major stars in the first round.
World junior No.1 Emerson Jones makes her grand slam debut against 2023 Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina, while Hobart quarter-finalist Maya Joint will have to upset US Open finalist Jessica Pegula to advance.
The other four Australian women already in the draw – Daria Saville, Ajla Tomljanovic, Talia Gibson and Olivia Gadecki – avoided seeds in the opening round.
Destanee Aiava has also booked her spot through qualifying and awaits her opponent, while Kim Birrell and Elena Micic could join them.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka kicks off her title defence against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, but a fourth-round stoush with teen queen Mirra Andreeva is a possibility.
Andreeva, the 14th seed, must first negotiate relentless Czech Marie Bouzkova.
At the opposite end of the draw, second seed and former world No.1 Iga Swiatek meets another Czech, Katerina Siniakova, as she bids to win her maiden Australian Open championship.
Swiatek’s had a difficult time at Melbourne Park, losing in the third and fourth rounds the past two years.
There are some fascinating first-round match-ups, with 2019 and 2021 winner Naomi Osaka set to face Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia at this stage for the second straight year.
Former world No.4 Garcia won the 2024 battle in a tight two-setter, but Osaka tearfully withdrew from the Auckland final because of an abdominal issue, so there is some doubt about her involvement.
Third-seeded Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, drew fellow American Sofia Kenin, who won the 2020 Australian Open title.
There will also be an encounter between former top-tenners Belinda Bencic and Jelena Ostapenko. Two other matches of interest are Ons Jabeur-Anhelina Kalinina and Ekaterina Alexandrova-Emma Raducanu.
