Sinner To Face Gaston In Australian Open First Round

Defending champion Jannik Sinner will meet French world number 94 Hugo Gaston in the first round of the Australian Open

The women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka will face French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga.

Men’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz will slug it out with 79th-ranked Australian Adam Walton as he aims to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

At the draw ceremony at Melbourne Park on Thursday, Novak Djokovic was bracketed next to 71st-ranked Spaniard Pedro Martinez for the opening round of the Grand Slam starting on Sunday.

Djokovic could face rising Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals before a possible semi-final against Sinner.

Sinner has a smooth first week but fans will hope it includes a third round match-up with 28th-seeded Brazilian Joao Fonseca should the exciting, 19-year-old talent prove fit following recent back problems.

Alcaraz is on course to take on Alex de Minaur in the quarter-final after a second round clash with Matteo Berrettini.

Sabalenka is on course to meet third seed Coco Gauff in the semi-final.

Women’s second seed Iga Swiatek will meet a qualifier in the first round before taking on Elena Rybakina in the quarter-final.

Rybakina will take on unseeded Slovene Kaja Juvan in the first round.

Defending champion Madison Keys will face unseeded Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova.

Keys could meet sixth-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula in the fourth round before a potential quarter-final against Amanda Anisimova.

Home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis pulled out of the men’s draw after suffering a shoulder injury at the Adelaide International.

The tournament is expected to kick off from January 18 – February 1 in Melbourne.