Australian Open draw does de Minaur few favours
Darren Walton and Anna Harrington |
Alex de Minaur has copped a devilish Australian Open draw, up 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 with no time to ease his way into the tournament.
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 would play either Mariano Navone or Hamad Medjedovic for a likely shot at 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, with 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.
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, who enjoyed a meteoric rise from relative obscurity in 2025 to crack the top 20 for the first time.
AAP
