Emma Raducanu has been handed a favourable draw in her return to grand slam tennis as she faces Shelby Rogers of the US in the first round of the Australian Open next week.
The 21-year-old is one of numerous former top players returning from lengthy layoffs in the women’s draw, with the two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka facing a blockbuster first round battle with Caroline Garcia, the 16th seed and former No 4.
A rematch of the 2020 French Open final will also take place in the opening round as Iga Świątek battles Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, in round one. Elena Rybakina, the third seed, will open her tournament against returning former No 1 Karolina Pliskova.
In the men’s draw, Andy Murray has also been handed a fair draw as he faces 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina in the opening round while Novak Djokovic will begin his title defence against a qualifier. Murray and Djokovic could face each other in round three.
After eight months of disruption, Raducanu could have hardly wished for a fairer draw as an unseeded player in her first match back. Rogers is a gritty competitor with a sweet backhand and her pedigree is reflected in the numerous top 10 wins and tight three set matches she has contested with top players at grand slam tournaments. However, she is also on the comeback trail after a long injury layoff. Rogers has not competed since Wimbledon in July last year after undergoing surgery in July.
The only previous meeting between Raducanu and Rogers came during Raducanu’s US Open title run in 2021, with Raducanu dismantling Rogers 6-2, 6-1 after the American had defeated Ash Barty in the previous round. Having broken into the top 30 in 2022, Rogers is now ranked No 156. Unlike Raducanu, Rogers opted not to compete prior to the Australian Open, meaning their first round match will be her first in six months.
There have been question marks around Raducanu’s physical condition since a positive return to competition in Auckland last week ended in her appearing to struggle with her lower back in the final stages of her tight three-set loss to Elina Svitolina. Raducanu has since withdrawn from scheduled exhibition matches at Rod Laver Arena and the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.
On Thursday, though, Raducanu trained well with her compatriot Lily Miyazaki and despite exercising caution this week, she had no physical issues during her training session as her preparation for the first grand slam tournament of the year continued.
For Osaka, a massive challenge awaits in her first major since she gave birth to her daughter, Shai. Garcia, who was ranked No 4 just last year, awaits in a match that will almost certainly be decided by which big server and aggressive ball-striker can land the first strike and can keep their errors relatively low.
Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, will start her title defence against a qualifier. Fourth seeded Coco Gauff was drawn into Sabalenka’s half, with Rybakina occupying Świątek’s top half.
While Djokovic, the men’s favourite, arrived in Melbourne having struggled with a wrist injury at the United Cup last week, he has received a decent draw himself. Djokovic faces a potential third round match with Murray, Gael Monfils or Etcheverry.
Jannik Sinner, the fourth seed, has fallen in Djokovic’s half, with third seed Daniil Medvedev occupying Carlos Alcaraz’s half. The men’s draw is headed by a first round clash between Stefanos Tsitsipas, the seventh seed, and former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, will tussle with Richard Gasquet in his opening match as he looks to find his feet quickly after opting not to compete in a warm up event before the Australian Open. Alcaraz could face Great Britain’s Dan Evans in the second round as Evans faces Lorenzo Sonego.
All Australian eyes will be on Alex de Minaur after he started his season with an incredible week at the United Cup, defeating three top 10 players Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev, a run of victories that catapulted de Minaur into the top 10 for the first time this week. He will face world No 317 Canadian Milos Raonic in the first round and has avoided any potential showdowns with the world’s top four until the quarter-finals.
Among the Britons, Katie Boulter will look to follow up her positive start to the season as she faces Yuan Ye in the first round. Jodie Burrage will begin her tournament against Tamara Korpatsch of Germany, a fellow unseeded player. Cameron Norrie, the 19th seed, will face Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru with a potential third round against 11th seed Casper Ruud looming.
