Chance sometimes makes things wrong. On Thursday, January 11, the draw for the Australian Open – the first Grand Slam tournament of the season from January 14 to 27 – did not spare French tennis players.
Caroline Garcia, world number 20, will immediately face Naomi Osaka, a two-time Melbourne winner (2019, 2021) and two-time US Open winner (2018, 2020), right after entering the competition. The former world number one made her competitive return in early January in Brisbane (Australia), where she was eliminated in the second round after spending more than a year without playing and becoming a mother. Despite the lack of rhythm from the Japanese, the match promises to be a tough one for the Lyonnaise, who have had a string of mixed results. If she wins her first two matches, she could face Russia’s Anastasia Potapova (27E world) in the third round, before a hypothetical round of 16 against American sensation Coco Gauff, seeded 4.
Among the Tricolores committed in Melbourne, several players inherited an affordable first round but a formidable second blade. Varvara Gracheva, the French number two, will challenge the Belgian Yanina Wickmayer (68E world). If successful, she could cross paths with the last Wimbledon winner, the Czech Markéta Vondroušová. In case of winning the first match, Clara Burel and Alizé Cornet would face the American Jessica Pegula (5E world) and Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, winner in Australia in 2018.
Richard Gasquet sentenced to booty
In the men’s draw, Richard Gasquet will have a tough time against Carlos Alcaraz, seeded 2. Bitterois recently dropped out of the world top 100 for the first time since 2005, following a defeat against his compatriot Arthur Fils in Auckland (New Zealand). At the age of 37, he will challenge one of the great talents of the new generation of world tennis, the winner of two Grand Slam tournaments at the age of 20.
The two seeded French had an available draw. Adrian Mannarino (20E world) will challenge Swiss Stan Wawrinka, the multiple Grand Slam winner, today at the age of 56E place in the ATP rankings. He could cross paths with Ben Shelton, last year’s US Open semifinalist, in the third round. Ugo Humbert will again enter the fight against an opponent from the qualification. Seemingly an easy draw, but uncertainty remains: 21E the world player withdrew before his second match in Brisbane on January 3 due to stomach pains.
Gaël Monfils’ journey does not look like it will be the easiest. If he gets through against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in his first round, he will have the chance to meet some familiar faces: he could challenge Britain’s Andy Murray in the second round, followed by Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. Arthur Fils should face Russian Roman Safiullin, a quarterfinalist at the last Wimbledon, in the second round.
Jannik Sinner-Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz-Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals
Among the headliners, Novak Djokovic goes in search of his 25thE A Grand Slam title with a tough draw in the second week. His first real duel should be in the round of 16 against Ben Shelton. Their last clash in the 2023 US Open semifinals, in which “Djoker” won in three sets, sparked sparks. In the quarter-finals, the Serb could have crossed paths with Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas before shocking Italian Jannik Sinner in the last four. The second part of the table would reserve the hypothetical quarterfinals between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev and between Holger Rune-Daniil Medvedev.
On the women’s side, world number one Iga Swiatek will have a tough start against Sofia Kenin, who won in Melbourne in 2020. If successful, the Pole would face the winner of the match between 2022 finalist Danielle Collins and Angélique Kerber, the winner in the second round 2016. The second seed and defending champion, Aryna Sabalenkova of Belarus, inherited the first week available ahead of a potential quarter-final shock against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. In the prediction game, the winner of this poster could face Coco Gauff for a place in the finals; while the second meeting in the last four pitted Iga Swiatek against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.