Australian Open draw, here we go: here are the opponents our Azzurri will face in Melbourne.
The wrist problems complained by Novak Djokovic in recent days could, despite himself, be a game changer. It was not a foregone conclusion even before that he would win again, there being several dogs on the bone, and it is even less so now, as the Serbian No. 1 may not be at his best physically.
Then, sure, last year Nole won the Australian Open with a 3-centimeter tear in his thigh, so a sore wrist might be nothing for a tough guy like him. But it will be seen. And it will especially be seen if the other aspirants to the Melbourne throne, first and foremost Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, will be able to take away the trophy he will certainly want to get his hands on once again. There are many unknowns to take into account, but many things may be a little clearer as early as tonight. Indeed, at 3 a.m. Italian time, the draw for the main draw of the Australian Open 2024 will take place in the land of kangaroos.
No television coverage of the event is planned, but night owls will still be able to follow the ceremony through the Facebook page of the first Slam of the year and the tournament’s YouTube channel. And find out live, then, which opponents will be the first to try to put a spoke in the wheels of the competing Azzurri. At the starting tapes, on the men’s side, are, in addition to world and seeding No. 4 Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, making his return to the court after months of absence, Lorenzo Musetti, Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Sonego. The other Italians are still playing qualifiers, looking for a place in the main draw.
Australian Open draw: where and how to follow the ceremony
For the purposes of the draw, the ranking update on Monday, January 8, 2024 was taken into account. The ceremony will proceed in the following way: first of all, the positions of tennis players who are not seeded, such as precisely Berrettini, will be drawn and the positions at the top will be assigned to the number 1 in the seeding and at the bottom to the number 2.
At this point, the draw will decree the positions of the 3 and 4 seed (and thus Sinner), so as to decree who will be the favorites in the second and third quarters of the main draw. Then it will be the turn of the draws for the number 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds and so on, until the seeding is exhausted.
It is difficult to make predictions about the possible Australian Open crossovers, but as early as tonight it will be possible to draw the balance of the draw and figure out what kind of path our holders will take in the competition in Melbourne. Below, after the ceremony, you will find the first pairings.
Sinner will debut against Van De Zandschulp; Berrettini will meet Tsitsipas in the first round; Musetti will cross Bonzi. For Sonego there is Evans and for Arnaldi, on the other hand, Walton.
