Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is seen throughout a follow session forward of the 2023 Australian Open, in Melbourne on January 12, 2023.
| Picture Credit score: Darrian Traynor
Novak Djokovic was drawn on January 12, 2023 to play Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena on his return to the Australian Open and will meet Nick Kyrgios within the final eight.
The Serbian star, who was deported a 12 months in the past, will kickstart his bid for a tenth Melbourne title and a record-equalling twenty second Grand Slam crown in opposition to a participant ranked seventy fifth on the earth.
Within the absence of injured world primary Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion Rafael Nadal takes the highest seed and begins in opposition to Britain’s promising Jack Draper.
On the ladies’s aspect, prime seed and world primary Iga Swiatek will meet Germany’s Jule Niemeier as she targets a maiden Grand Slam title in Australia.
There may be an damage cloud hanging over Djokovic after he tweaked his hamstring on the way in which to profitable the season-opening Adelaide Worldwide final week. He minimize brief a follow match on Wednesday to get extra remedy.
The 35-year-old was ejected from Australia on the eve of the 2022 match over his Covid vaccination stance after a authorized battle. He additionally missed the US Open for comparable causes.
The transfer divided opinion in Melbourne, a metropolis that endured a number of the longest lockdowns on the earth on the peak of the pandemic. How he’s acquired stays to be seen.
The fourth seed is because of play a charity match in opposition to Australian Kyrgios on Friday night and will meet him within the quarter-finals if each get that far.
Kyrgios would first doubtlessly must get previous ninth seed Holger Rune and fifth seed Andrey Rublev.
Second seed Casper Ruud, who suffered a shock loss in his first match on the Auckland Basic on Wednesday, was pitted first up in opposition to Czech participant Tomas Machac.
Daniil Medvedev, finalist on the final two Australian Opens, takes on American Marcos Giron. Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has a tricky match in opposition to France’s Quentin Halys.
Former Grand Slam winner Andy Murray meets Italian Matteo Berrettini in a headline first-round conflict whereas Rublev is up in opposition to former finalist Dominic Thiem.
It’s Victoria Azarenka vs Sofia Kenin
On the ladies’s aspect, second seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia faces Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek whereas American third seed Jessica Pegula takes on Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.
France’s Caroline Garcia, seeded 4, meets a qualifier or fortunate loser whereas world quantity 5 Aryna Sabalenka, who gained the Adelaide Worldwide final week, is in opposition to Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic.
In a bumper first-round conflict, former champions Victoria Azarenka and Sofia Kenin will meet.
