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

17 January 2024

The 2024 Australian Open is underway with Novak Djokovic, who has received this event 10 instances, seeking to prolong his document. Rafael Nadal withdrew because of damage, however many of the different stars are competing in Melbourne. This yr’s event is a day longer within the hopes of stopping matches from going too late into the evening.

Djokovic, the defending champion, made historical past final season by successful his twenty fourth Grand Slam title, which tied him with Margaret Court for probably the most main singles titles ever. Djokovic, who mentioned he has been “a bit below the climate,” performed the longest first-round Grand Slam match of his profession in opposition to 18-year-old Dino Prizmic. The battle took 4 hours and one minute earlier than Djokovic received, 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4.

Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz missed final yr’s event in Australia due to an damage, however he took care of enterprise with a straight-sets win in opposition to Richard Gasquet. The primary set was a little bit of a wrestle, however Alcaraz completed the day with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, 6-2 win.

In final yr’s Australian Open, Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in three units for the lads’s singles title. Tsitsipas has but to win a Grand Slam, however he additionally made it to the French Open remaining in 2021. His first spherical match was purported to be in opposition to Matteo Berrettini, however the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up needed to withdraw due to a foot damage. As an alternative, No. 7 seed Tsitsipas performed Zizou Bergs and misplaced the primary set earlier than discovering his rhythm and successful 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

The highest seeds on the lads’s facet stay untoched, however Sumit Nagal made historical past by changing into the primary Indian since 1989 to beat a seeded participant at a Grand Slam after taking down No. 31 seed Alexander Bublik in straight units.

In addition to Djokovic, the opposite most up-to-date Australian Open winner is Nadal, who suffered an damage within the second spherical of this event in 2023 and needed to sit out the remainder of the yr. He was on the point of compete at Melbourne earlier than suffering a “micro tear” on his hip whereas taking part in within the Brisbane Worldwide quarterfinals final week. One other notable absence is Australian star Nick Kyrgios, who’s lacking his second consecutive Australian Open because of ongoing accidents. He has not publicly mentioned a timeline for his return.

On the ladies’s facet, Aryna Sabalenka received final yr’s trophy in opposition to Elena Rybakina. She is off to a stable begin because the No. 2 seed, gathering a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over Ella Seidel.

The third-seeded Rybakina sweated a bit extra, however nonetheless obtained the job executed in opposition to Karolina Pliskova, successful 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. In the meantime, No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek additionally wanted a tiebreak within the first first set in opposition to Sofia Kenin, however ultimately got here out victorious 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Swiatek’s greatest Australian Open run was in 2022, when she made the semifinals.

Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine gave us our first top-10 upset by taking down seventh-seeded Marketa Vondrousova, 6-1, 6-2. Vondrousova, final yr’s Wimbledon champion, hasn’t been 100%, as she withdrew from the Adelaide Worldwide per week in the past with a proper hip damage.

Naomi Osaka, who missed most of final season due to being pregnant, was again in her first main event for the reason that 2022 US Open. The previous world No. 1 fell to No. 16 seed Caroline Garcia, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

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