Key Matches to Watch on the First Day of the Australian Open

The first round of the Australian Open is set to kick off on Monday, with several high-profile matches that are sure to capture the attention of tennis fans around the world. Among the notable players competing are Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Novak Djokovic, each of whom has their own goals and challenges heading into this prestigious tournament.

Djokovic’s Quest for History

One of the most anticipated matches of the day is the clash between Novak Djokovic and Pedro Martinez. The Serbian tennis star, who has been stuck at 24 Grand Slam titles since his U.S. Open victory in 2023, is looking to make history by securing a record 25th title. This would place him ahead of Margaret Court, who holds the previous record.

Djokovic, a ten-time champion of the Australian Open, has not had much time to prepare for this event. He withdrew from a warm-up tournament in Adelaide and his last match was during his title-winning run in Athens in November. Despite this, Djokovic remains confident in his ability to perform at the highest level.

“I took some time off, and obviously took more time to rebuild my body,” Djokovic said ahead of his first-round match against Martinez. “I understand that in the last couple of years, that’s what changed the most for me is it takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover.”

Gauff Faces Challenges on Serve

Coco Gauff enters the tournament with momentum from the United Cup, where she played a key role in helping the United States reach the semi-finals. However, her serve continues to be a concern, as she has already recorded 28 double faults this year.

“I want to give it my all in each match,” Gauff said. “I feel like that stemmed from my serve, having good days and really bad days. I think the more that stroke becomes more consistent, the more my results will become more consistent.”

Gauff will face Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round. The American defeated Rakhimova 6-4 6-0 in the China Open in September, but she knows that this match will be no easy task.

Swiatek Aims for Career Grand Slam

Iga Swiatek, who recently won the Wimbledon title in 2025, is aiming for a career Grand Slam. However, the Polish player has yet to make it past the semi-finals in Melbourne. She will look to bounce back from some average performances at the United Cup, where Poland claimed the title despite Swiatek losing her singles matches in the semis and final.

Swiatek will take on Yuan Yue in the first round. The two have only met once before, with Swiatek winning 6-0 6-3 in Beijing last year.

Australian Open Order of Play

Here is the order of play on the main showcourts on the second day of the Australian Open:

Rod Laver Arena

Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
– 3-Coco Gauff (U.S.) v Kamilla Rakhimova (Uzbekistan)
– Mackenzie McDonald (U.S.) v 6-Alex de Minaur (Australia)

Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
– Yuan Yue (China) v 2-Iga Swiatek (Poland)
– Pedro Martinez (Spain) v 4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

Margaret Court Arena

Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
– 11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Jesper De Jong (Netherlands)
– Simona Waltert (Switzerland) v 4-Amanda Anisimova (U.S.)

Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
– Donna Vekic (Croatia) v 8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
– Mattia Bellucci (Italy) v 12-Casper Ruud (Norway)

John Cain Arena

Day session (0000 GMT/1100 AEDT)
– Nuno Borges (Portugal) v 7-Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada)
– 6-Jessica Pegula (U.S.) v Anastasia Zakharova (Russia)

Night session (0600 GMT/1700 AEDT)
– Yuliia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) v Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia)

Night session (0730 GMT/1830 AEDT)
– Alexei Popyrin (Australia) v Alexandre Muller (France)