Alex de Minaur will have to survive a minefield of challenges – starting with 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini – if he is to better his career-best Australian Open quarter-final run from last year.
Thursday’s draw did de Minaur no favours despite his No.6 seeding, with his potential opponents after Berrettini including Mariano Navone, Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Bublik before a potential last-eight showdown with world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.
However, de Minaur will look no further than former world No.6 Berrettini, who has won three of his five meetings with the Australian, including splitting their clashes last year.
Bublik also stunned de Minaur from two sets down in the second round at Roland-Garros last year, the only time he failed to reach the last 16 at his past seven grand slam appearances.
De Minaur at least landed on the opposite side of the draw to his nemesis and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner. He has proven more competitive against Alcaraz than Sinner, but still lost his five outings with the Spanish superstar, whose first-round opponent is Australia’s Adam Walton.
Tristan Schoolkate, who took a set off Sinner at last year’s Open, is the only other Australian man set to face a seed in his opener, with 32nd-seeded French agitator Corentin Moutet his opponent.
Sinner will launch his attempt at a hat-trick of Australian Open titles against Frenchman Hugo Gaston, but might need to defeat 19-year-old Brazilian up-and-comer Joao Fonseca in the round of 32.
Australia’s Aleks Vukic takes on Thiago Agustin Tirante; Alexei Popyrin drew Alexandre Muller; Jordan Thompson plays Juan Manuel Cerundolo; Rinky Hijikata meets veteran left-hander Adrian Mannarino; Chris O’Connell has qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy; and James Duckworth drew lucky loser Dino Przmic.
Qualifiers Jason Kubler and Dane Sweeny have high-profile first-round matches against Tiafoe and Gael Monfils, respectively.
Popyrin has endured a tough summer so far, and will likely have last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev across the net if he progresses to the second round.
In the women’s draw, Australia’s No.30 seed Maya Joint starts against the Czech Republic’s Tereza Valentova as she bids to make at least the round of 32 for the first time at a major. If Joint does make it that far, she will likely have 2023 finalist and No.5 seed Elena Rybakina waiting for her.
Joint advanced to the Adelaide International quarter-finals on Wednesday night when countrywoman Ajla Tomljanovic retired from their match with a right shoulder injury.
Tomljanovic has not withdrawn from the Australian Open at this stage, and is due to begin against Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in Melbourne.
Qualifier Maddison Inglis set up the only all-Australian battle with Adelaide semi-finalist Kim Birrell, while Daria Kasatkina and Priscilla Hon come up against qualifiers Nikola Bartunkova and Marina Stakusic, respectively.
Australia’s other qualifier, Storm Hunter, will go head-to-head with Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Former world junior No.1 Emerson Jones has an all-teenager first-round battle to prepare for – against 17th-seeded Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko, who won last year’s Montreal Masters to announce herself as a future star.
Wildcards Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston start their campaigns against Anna Blinkova and Zhang Shuai, respectively.
The draw was kind for the top two women’s seeds – at least for their first-round matches – with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to face French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, and second seed Iga Swiatek set to lock horns with a qualifier.