Overview
- Thursday’s draw placed No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner and 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in the same half, creating a potential semifinal if both win five matches.
- World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz opens against Australia’s Adam Walton and could complete the career Grand Slam with a first Melbourne title, with analysts calling his path relatively favorable.
- Sinner starts his title defense versus France’s Hugo Gaston as he bids for a third consecutive Australian Open and a fifth major overall.
- On the women’s side, top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faces French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga and could be on course for a semifinal against No. 3 seed Coco Gauff.
- Betting markets list Sinner as the men’s favorite and Sabalenka as the women’s pick, while Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew with a shoulder injury; main-draw matches start Sunday.