Australian Open 2024: Schedule, draw, how to watch, seeds, notable first-round matches

12 January 2024

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The Grand Slam season is kicking off this weekend with the 2024 Australian Open. Rafael Nadal has withdrawn resulting from harm, however many of the different stars might be competing in Melbourne. This 12 months’s match is a day longer within the hopes of stopping matches from going too late into the night time.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic, who has received this match 10 occasions, might be trying to prolong his report. He received three out of 4 majors final 12 months, and was only one set away from successful Wimbledon towards Carlos Alcaraz. Taking dwelling the 2023 US Open trophy helped Djokovic make historical past along with his twenty fourth Grand Slam title, which tied him with Margaret Court for probably the most main singles titles ever.

Djokovic received final 12 months’s Australian Open after beating Stefano Tsitsipas in three units. Tsitsipas has but to win a Grand Slam, however he additionally made it to the French Open ultimate in 2021. He’s coming into the match because the No. 7 seed.

In addition to Djokovic, the opposite most up-to-date Australian Open winner is Nadal, who suffered an harm within the second spherical of this match in 2023 and needed to sit out the remainder of the 12 months. He’s anticipated to retire on the finish of the 2024 season. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was on the brink of compete at Melbourne earlier than suffering a “micro tear” on his hip whereas enjoying within the Brisbane Worldwide quarterfinals final week. Fortuitously, Nadal mentioned the harm is not within the space of his hip the place he obtained surgical procedure final 12 months. If issues go effectively, he ought to be capable of compete within the French Open in Might.

One other notable absence is Australian star Nick Kyrgios, who’s lacking his second consecutive Australian Open resulting from ongoing accidents. He has not publicly mentioned a timeline for his return.

On the ladies’s aspect, Aryna Sabalenka received final 12 months’s trophy towards Elena Rybakina. Additionally they just lately met within the Brisbane Worldwide ultimate, with Rybakina successful in two units. They’re each again and able to give top-seeded Iga Swiatek a run for her cash in Melbourne. Swiatek’s greatest Australian Open run was in 2022, when she made the semifinals.

Naomi Osaka, who missed most of final season due to being pregnant, might be competing in her first main match for the reason that 2022 US Open. The previous world No. 1 gave start in July and is able to compete at this stage once more.

Right here is all it’s good to know concerning the 2024 US Open: