Sinner to begin Australian Open title defence against Jarry

Thursday, 9 January 2025 09:06

By Reuters

Top seed Jannik Sinner will begin his Australian Open title defence against Nicolas Jarry while women's champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on Sloane Stephens after the draw for the year's first Grand Slam was made at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

Novak Djokovic will launch his latest bid for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown against US wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy.

Second seed Iga Swiatek plays Katerina Siniakova while third seed Coco Gauff could face a tricky test against fellow American and former champion Sofia Kenin.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, runner-up last year, meets a qualifier first up and is on a collision course with Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.

After adding the French Open trophy to his collection in 2024, Carlos Alcaraz kicks off his campaign to capture the one Grand Slam that has eluded him when he meets Alexander Shevchenko.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios, who has struggled with injuries since losing to Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final, is due to take on Jacob Fearnley but his return to Melbourne Park remains in doubt due to an abdominal strain.

The main draw gets underway on Sunday.

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