Australian Open draw does de Minaur few favours
Darren Walton and Anna Harrington |
Alex de Minaur has copped a devilish Australian Open draw which pits him against former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in the first round at Melbourne Park.
After a stellar 2025 campaign, de Minaur enters his home grand slam with his highest-ever seeding but will need to hit the ground running when the tournament gets under way on Sunday.
The world No.6 trails Berrettini 3-2 head to head but his two wins over the Italian have, encouragingly, both come on hard courts.
Should he pass the Berrettini test, de Minaur will play either Argentina’s world No.74 Mariano Navone or Serbia’s 96th-ranked Hamad Medjedovic for a likely shot at US 29th seed Frances Tiafoe in round three.
Handed no favours at Thursday’s draw in Melbourne, the sixth seed’s path doesn’t get any easier after that.
De Minaur has potential shootouts with his grand slam nemesis Alexander Bublik, the world No.10, in the last 16 and the top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
Alexei Popyrin will face French world No.50 Alexandre Muller first-up, but is then due to clash with third seed Alexander Zverev in the second round.
Adam Walton has the daunting task of tackling Alcaraz first-up.
Teenage sensation Maya Joint, Australia’s first women’s seed since retired great Ash Barty won the title in 2022, will open her campaign against world No.60 Tereza Valentova.
If she beats the Czech, the 30th-seeded Joint will play either New Zealander Lulu Sun or a qualifier for a likely showdown with fifth-seeded 2023 champion Elena Rybakina in the third round.
Emerson Jones, Australia’s other exciting teenage prospect, also copped a rough draw.
The 17-year-old faces Canada’s world No.19 Victoria Mboko, another teenager who enjoyed a meteoric rise from relative obscurity in 2025 to crack the top 20 for the first time.
Emerging Queenslander Walton will be unsure whether he has a dream or a wretched draw after landing a first-round confrontation with Alcaraz.
With two crowns each from the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, the 22-year-old Spanish wonder is bidding to become the youngest man ever to complete a career grand slam.
Australian women’s No.2 Daria Kasatkina, along with Ajla Tomljanovic, Kim Birrell and Priscilla Hon all drew qualifiers for their opening matches.
Kasatkina could face world No.10 Belinda Bencic, the unbeaten star of last week’s United Cup, in round two.
But if Joint and Kasatkina manage to survive the first week, the two will clash in the round of 16 with world No.2 Iga Swiatek likely to be lying in wait in the quarter-finals.
WHO THE AUSSIES FACE IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN FIRST ROUND AT MELBOURNE PARK:
Men’s singles
6-Alex de Minaur v Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
Alexei Popyrin v Alexandre Muller (FRA)
Adam Walton v 1-Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
Aleksandar Vukic v Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG)
Tristan Schoolkate v 32-Corentin Moutet (FRA)
James Duckworth v qualifier
Jordan Thompson v Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)
Chris O’Connell v qualifier
Rinky Hijikata v Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
Qualifier Dane Sweeny v TBC
Women’s singles
30-Maya Joint v Tereza Valentova (CZE)
Daria Kasatkina v qualifier
Ajla Tomljanovic v qualifier
Kim Birrell v qualifier
Priscilla Hon v qualifier
Emerson Jones v Victoria Mboko (CAN)
Taylah Preston v Zhang Shuai (CHN)
Tahlia Gibson v Anna Blinkova (RUS)
