CNN reported that Rafael Nadal, the defending champion, will face English youngster Jack Draper in the opening round of the Australian Open with the aim of retaining his crown and extending his grand slam tally. Although world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz might miss the tournament due to injury, the return of Novak Djokovic to the competition means that Nadal will have a tough time defending his title. The tournament draw has not been kind to Nadal, as he faces the risk of potentially playing current Next Gen ATP Finals champion Brandon Nakashima if he defeats Draper. Daniil Medvedev, last year’s epic five-set final opponent, could also be waiting in the quarterfinals. The nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic is in the opposite half of the draw from Nadal and Medvedev and is scheduled to play Roberto Carballes Baena in the opening round with a potential quarterfinal against home favorite Nick Kyrgios.
The 2023 Australian Open is taking place one year after Djokovic was deported from Australia on the eve of the 2022 edition by the former immigration minister due to his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine. The minister’s decision originally banned Djokovic from reentry for three years. Nineteenth-seeded Kyrgios is part of a thrilling section of the draw, which includes Holger Rune, Dan Evans, and Andrey Rublev. Though Russian Rublev comes into the Australian Open as the fifth seed, on Wednesday, he suffered a surprise defeat to world No. 110 Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Adelaide 2. Rublev’s first match at the tournament is against former world No. 3 and 2020 Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem.
In the other half of the draw, the top seed, Iga Światek, is dominating the sport following Ashleigh Barty’s retirement from tennis last year. She will open against German Jule Niemeier but could potentially face the American star, Coco Gauff, in the quarterfinals. Last year, the 18-year-old won the ASB Classic without dropping a set and reached the Roland Garros final, where she was defeated by Światek. Gauff faces a second-round match against 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who is recovering from an ankle injury. Second seed Ons Jabeur is aiming to win a grand slam in 2023 after making the Wimbledon and US Open finals last year but ultimately falling short. The Tunisian will face Tamara Zidanšek in her opening match and could play Aryna Sabalenka, who won her 11th career title and first in 19 months at the Adelaide 1, in the quarterfinals.
The other exciting part of the draw features American Jessica Pegula, who recently led Team USA to victory in the inaugural United Cup with a fantastic straight-set win over Światek. Pegula has been drawn in the same part of the draw as Maria Sakkari and will be looking to set up a thrilling semifinal with her United Cup opponent after reaching back-to-back quarterfinals in Melbourne and being at the top of her game.
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