Australian Open draw: Novak Djokovic handed monster route as Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper learn fate
Djokovic could face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, with Alexander Zverev a possible opponent in the semi-finals and Jannik Sinner on the opposite side of the draw
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Your support makes all the difference.Novak Djokovic could play Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and may also have to face world No 2 Alexander Zverev and world No 1 Jannik Sinner if he is to win a 25th grand slam title in Melbourne.
The 37-year-old, who will be coached by Andy Murray at the opening grand slam of the season, is seeded seventh for the tournament he has won 10 times and has been drawn in the same quarter as world No 3 Alcaraz.
Djokovic and Alcaraz, 21, have faced each other in two grand slam finals as well as the Olympics final, won by the Serbian last year, with Zverev a possible opponent in the semis and defending champion Sinner on the opposite side of the draw.
Emma Raducanu was the only British player to draw a seed, meanwhile, as the former US Open champion takes on No 26 Ekaterina Alexandrova. British No 1 Katie Boulter, who is seeded 22nd, faces Rebecca Marino of Canada in her opening match.
There is a blockbuster draw for Britain’s Jacob Fearnley ahead of his Australian Open debut, with the 23-year-old set to face Australian star Nick Kyrgios in the opening round, should the former Wimbledon finalist be fit enough to feature at his home grand slam for the first time since 2022.
Fearnley, who took a set off Djokovic in the second round of Wimbledon last year, was ranked outside the top 600 a year ago but has climbed to 86 in the world after turning professional and is making his first appearance at Melbourne Park.
Elsewhere, British No 1 Jack Draper, the men’s 15th seed, takes on Argentina’s Mariano Navone, while Cameron Norrie faces a headline match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.
Draper is looking to build on his run to the US Open semi-finals last season but could face Wimbledon and French Open champion Alcaraz in the fourth round, or Djokovic in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic will begin his bid for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title against American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy, while Alcaraz starts his quest to complete the career grand slam against Kazakhstani Alexander Shevchenko.
Men’s champion Sinner opens his first defence of a grand slam title against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry and could face a rematch of last year’s final against Daniil Medvedev or a repeat of last year’s US Open final against Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals.
On the women’s side, two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka faces former US Open winner Sloane Stephens in the first round, in one of two matches between former grand slam champions. Coco Gauff will also start against former Australian Open champion and fellow American Sofia Kenin.
Crucially, though, the in-form Gauff has landed on the same side of the bracket as Sabalenka in what is a tricky draw for the defending champion. The world No 1 is also in the same quarter as Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, who she beat in last year’s final.
Iga Swiatek is on the kinder side of the draw and the five-time grand slam winner plays Czech Katerina Siniakova in round one, with Raducanu a possible opponent if both players reach the third round.
Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka faces Caroline Garcia in the first round for the second year in a row. Osaka was beaten by former world No 4 Garcia last year, in what was her grand slam return.
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