World No. 3 Coco Gauff begins her journey at the year’s first Grand Slam against 2020 Aussie Open champion Sofia Kenin (No. 81), a challenging match for Gauff. Kenin leads their head-to-head 2-1, including their last encounter in the first round at Wimbledon, where the 26-year-old upset the 7th seed Gauff (6-4, 4-6, 6-2).
Afterwards, male defending champion Jannik Sinner will face Chile's Nicolas Jarry, the Rome Open finalist. The Italian had a tough first-round draw and will need to find his rhythm quickly against an opponent with whom he has a 1-1 head-to-head record. Sinner won their most recent encounter at the China Open three months ago – not without difficulty – by 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The afternoon session will feature 10-time champion Novak Djokovic debuting against young star Nishesh Basavareddy, who earned a wildcard for the main draw. The 19-year-old American recently reached the semifinals at the ASB Classic, with victories over rivals like Alex Michelsen and Alejandro Tabilo. It's a good opportunity for the American to make a name for himself in a major stadium, with nothing to lose against the tournament's greatest champion.
The day will close with another former champion: Naomi Osaka, who won the title in 2019 and 2021. The Japanese star faces a tough draw against Caroline Garcia, whom she faced last year, with the 16th seed Frenchwoman winning (6-4, 7-6). In 2024, they have met three times, with two wins for Garcia and one for the Japanese.
Margaret Court Arena
Wildcard entrant Alja Tomljanovic takes on American Ashlyn Krueger, who comes into the match with solid form, having won five and lost two so far this season, including three top-20 victories against Paula Badosa, Anna Kalinskaya, and Marta Kostyuk. Next, local 27th seed Jordan Thompson will face Dominik Koepfer from qualifying.
In the night session, Carlos Alcaraz will play at the same time as Djokovic on the main court. The Spaniard faces Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko, with their only previous meeting back at the 2024 Madrid Open, where Alcaraz won 6-2, 6-1.
The final match of the night will see American world No. 11 Danielle Collins facing Ukrainian Daria Snigur. ‘Danimal’ recently decided to extend her career, which she had planned to end in 2024, after a stellar performance last year that saw her reach the top 10. She reached the Australian Open final in 2022 (losing to Ashleigh Barty) and is sure to have big ambitions this year.
In the morning session, 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas will face American Alex Michelsen. The Greek faces a tough challenge, having lost their only previous meeting four months ago at the Tokyo Open, where Michelsen came back from a set down to eliminate the 4th seed.
Afterwards, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek will begin her campaign for the title against Czech Katerina Siniakova. The Polish star has a serious chance of reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking with a strong run in Melbourne, although she has not reached the fourth round in the past two years.
In the afternoon, Jessica Pegula will face local wildcard Maya Joint, the 18-year-old who recently reached the semifinals at the Hobart Open, with wins over rivals like Magda Linette and Sofia Kenin. The day will close with Nick Kyrgios marking his return to the Australian Open after three years, facing 23-year-old Brit Jacob Fernley.
Other major figures will play their first-round matches on surrounding courts, with names like Victoria Azarenka, Grigor Dimitrov, Belinda Bencic, Frances Tiafoe, Jelena Ostapenko, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Ons Jabeur, Jack Draper, and Karolina Muchova all in action.