Emma Raducanu has received a favorable bracket in her comeback to major tennis tournaments, as she will go up against Shelby Rogers from the United States in the opening round of the Australian Open next week.
A 21-year-old athlete is among many former high-ranking players making a comeback after taking a long break in the women’s tournament. Naomi Osaka, a two-time Australian Open winner, will face Caroline Garcia, the 16th seed and former No 4, in a highly anticipated first round match.
In the first round, there will be a repeat of the 2020 French Open final between Iga Świątek and Sofia Kenin, who won the 2020 Australian Open. Additionally, the third seed Elena Rybakina will face a former top-ranked player Karolina Pliskova in her opening match.
The men’s bracket has given Andy Murray a favorable match-up against 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry from Argentina in the first round, while Novak Djokovic will start his quest to defend his title against a qualifier. There is a possibility that Murray and Djokovic may face each other in the third round.
After a period of eight months of disturbance, Raducanu couldn’t have hoped for a more equitable pairing as an unseeded player in her initial return match. Rogers is a determined opponent with a skilled backhand and her high-quality achievements can be seen in the multiple victories against top 10 players and close three-set matches she has faced at major tournaments. Nevertheless, she is also on the path to recovery after a lengthy period of injury. Rogers has not participated in any competitions since Wimbledon in July of the previous year due to having surgery in July.
In their first and only meeting prior to the Australian Open, Raducanu and Rogers faced off during the former’s victorious US Open campaign in 2021. Raducanu easily defeated Rogers with a score of 6-2, 6-1, following the American’s win over Ash Barty in the previous round. While Raducanu has climbed into the top 30 rankings in 2022, Rogers is currently ranked at No. 156. Unlike Raducanu, Rogers chose not to participate in any tournaments leading up to the Australian Open, making their first round match her first match in six months.
There have been concerns about Raducanu’s physical well-being, as her return to competition in Auckland last week resulted in her visibly struggling with her lower back during the final stages of her close three-set defeat against Elina Svitolina. As a result, Raducanu has pulled out of planned exhibition matches at Rod Laver Arena and the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.
On Thursday, Raducanu had a good training session with her fellow British player Lily Miyazaki. Despite being cautious this week, she did not experience any physical problems during the session as she continues to prepare for the first major tennis tournament of the year.
For Osaka, a massive challenge awaits in her first major since she gave birth to her daughter, Shai. Garcia, who was ranked No 4 just last year, awaits in a match that will almost certainly be decided by which big server and aggressive ball-striker can land the first strike and can keep their errors relatively low.
The second-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka, will begin her quest to defend her title against a player who had to qualify. The fourth-seeded Coco Gauff was placed in the same half of the draw as Sabalenka, while Rybakina was placed in the top half with Świątek.
Although Djokovic, the top pick in the men’s division, entered Melbourne after dealing with a wrist injury in the United Cup last week, he has been given a favorable draw. In the third round, Djokovic could potentially face Murray, Gael Monfils, or Etcheverry.
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Jannik Sinner, who is seeded fourth, has been placed in the same half as Djokovic, while the third seed, Daniil Medvedev, shares a half with Carlos Alcaraz. The top half of the men’s draw features a first round match-up between seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
In his first match, Alcaraz will go head-to-head with Richard Gasquet as he tries to get back into the groove after deciding not to participate in a pre-Australian Open tournament. Alcaraz may potentially face Dan Evans from Great Britain in the following round, as Evans is set to play against Lorenzo Sonego.
Alex de Minaur, an Australian player, has captured the attention of many after his impressive performance at the United Cup. He defeated three top 10 players, including Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, and Alexander Zverev, during his first week of the season. This success has led to de Minaur reaching the top 10 rankings for the first time this week. In the first round, he will play against Milos Raonic from Canada, who is currently ranked at No. 317. Additionally, de Minaur has managed to avoid facing any of the top four players until the quarter-finals.
Katie Boulter, a British player, hopes to continue her successful start to the season by competing against Yuan Ye in the opening round. Jodie Burrage, another unseeded Briton, will kick off her tournament against Tamara Korpatsch from Germany. Cameron Norrie, the 19th seed, will take on Juan Pablo Varillas from Peru in his first match, with a potential matchup against 11th seed Casper Ruud in the third round.
