NICK KYRGIOS will take on a British rising star in the first round of the Australian Open.
The controversial Australian, 29, made his long-awaited return to tennis on New Year’s Eve after playing just one match in the previous two years due to various injuries including wrist surgery.
And now he faces Britain’s No3 Jacob Fearnley at the opening Grand Slam of the year.
The Scottish sensation, 23, enjoyed a superb 2024 which included the wildcard taking a set off Novak Djokovic on Centre Court in the second round at Wimbledon.
This time last year, the Edinburgh talent was ranked 646th in the world but heads into his second Major main draw as a direct entry at No86 – helped by winning four ATP Challenger Tour titles last season.
The winner of the unseeded first-round clash between Kyrgios and Fearnley could face 28th seed Sebastian Baez in round two followed by No2 seed Alexander Zverev.
They are in the same half of the draw as British No1 Jack Draper.
Draper, seeded 15th, will play Mariano Navone first up before a potential showdown with Kyrgios’ best mate and 2022 Australian Open doubles-winning partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The Brit is projected to meet No3 seed Carlos Alcaraz in round four – with Djokovic likely waiting for the winner in the quarters as Andy Murray begins his coaching career with the ten-time winner.
In the top half of the draw, headlined by world No1 and defending champ Jannik Sinner, is struggling Cameron Norrie.
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Now ranked No48, like Fearnley, Norrie takes on another unseeded big name in former Wimbledon finalist in Italian Matteo Berrettini with Holger Rune set to meet the winner.
In the women’s draw, Emma Raducanu will finally get to play No26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the opening round of a major – six months on from their scheduled meeting at Wimbledon falling through when the Russian pulled out of the tournament.
J. Sinner 1 vs N. Jarry
T. Schoolkate WC vs T. Daniel
M. Giron vs Y. Hanfmann
T. Etcheverry vs F. Cobolli 32
H. Hurkacz 18 vs T. Griekspoor
M. Kecmanovic vs D. Lajovic
M. Berrettini vs C. Norrie
Z. Zhang vs H. Rune 13
S. Tsitsipas 11 vs A. Michelsen
J. McCabe WC vs M. Landaluce Q
G. Diallo vs L. Nardi
A. Mannarino vs K. Khachanov 19
F. Cerundolo 31 vs A. Bublik
F. Diaz Acosta vs Z. Bergs
T. Boyer Q vs F. Coria
B. van de Zandschulp vs A. de Minaur 8
T. Fritz 4 vs J. Brooksby
B. Coric vs C. Garin Q
F. Comesana vs D. Altmaier
G. Monfils vs G. Mpetshi Perricard 30
B. Shelton 21 vs B. Nakashima
P. Carreno Busta vs K. Majchrzak Q
R. Bautista Agut vs D. Shapovalov
M. Arnaldi vs L. Musetti 16
A. Rublev 9 vs J. Fonseca Q
L. Sonego vs S. Wawrinka WC
T. Seyboth Wild vs F. Marozsan
A. Rinderknech vs F. Tiafoe 17
A. Popyrin 25 vs C. Moutet
R. Hijikata vs M. Krueger Q
C. Ugo Carabelli vs L. Tien Q
K. Samrej WC vs D. Medvedev 5
N. Djokovic 7 vs N. Basavareddy WC
J. Faria Q vs P. Kotov
G. Onclin Q vs R. Opelka
S. Nagal vs T. Machac 26
J. Lehecka 24 vs L. Tu WC
H. Gaston vs O. Jasika WC
D. Goffin vs B. Bonzi
F. Fognini vs G. Dimitrov 10
J. Draper 15 vs M. Navone
T. Kokkinakis vs R. Safiullin
D. Dzumhur vs A. Vukic
L. Klein Q vs S. Korda 22
J. Thompson 27 vs D. Koepfer Q
A. Muller vs N. Borges
Y. Nishioka vs A. Dougaz Q
A. Shevchenko vs C. Alcaraz 3
C. Ruud 6 vs J. Munar
N. Basilashvili Q vs J. Mensik
J. Shang vs A. Davidovich Fokina
J. Struff vs F. Auger-Aliassime 29
A. Tabilo 23 vs R. Carballes Baena
J. Duckworth vs D. Stricker
K. Nishikori vs T. Monteiro Q
C. O’Connell vs T. Paul 12
U. Humbert 14 vs M. Gigante Q
H. Habib Q vs Y. Bu
A. Walton vs Q. Halys
O. Virtanen vs A. Fils 20
S. Baez 28 vs A. Cazaux
J. Fearnley vs N. Kyrgios
P. Martinez vs L. Darderi
L. Pouille WC vs A. Zverev 2
Raducanu may face Iga Swiatek in round three while another Brit, Sonay Kartal, will likely have to take on the top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka if she beats Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Jodie Burrage plays French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean with No3 seed Coco Gauff the expected opponent in round two.
But it is a nicer draw for No22 seed Katie Boulter, up against veteran Canadian Rebecca Marino in round one.
She would be on track to meet No15 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in round three with French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini, seeded fourth, the headline name in the section.
The Australian Open gets underway on Sunday with the women’s final on January 25 followed by the men’s final the following day.
A. Sabalenka 1 vs S. Stephens
S. Kartal vs J. Bouzas Maneiro
B. Pera vs T. Maria
C. Tauson vs L. Noskova 29
M. Frech 23 vs P. Kudermetova Q
A. Blinkova vs D. Saville WC
M. Uchijima vs M. Linette
M. Bouzkova vs M. Andreeva 14
D. Shnaider 12 vs E. Cocciaretto
A. Tomljanovic WC vs A. Krueger
M. Vondrousova vs J. Fett Q
D. Parry vs D. Vekic 18
A. Pavlyuchenkova 27 vs Y. Yuan
T. Zidansek Q vs A. Potapova
L. Siegemund vs H. Baptiste
A. Todoni Q vs Q. Zheng 5
C. Gauff 3 vs S. Kenin
L. Jeanjean Q vs J. Burrage
C. Bucsa vs C. Paquet WC
Y. Starodubtseva vs L. Fernandez 30
K. Muchova 20 vs N. Podoroska
N. Osaka vs C. Garcia
V. Erjavec Q vs S. Lamens
B. Bencic vs J. Ostapenko 16
P. Badosa 11 vs X. Wang
Z. Sonmez vs T. Gibson WC
J. Niemeier vs M. Chwalinska Q
N. Hibino Q vs M. Kostyuk 17
L. Samsonova 25 vs K. Rakhimova
A. Rus vs O. Danilovic
E. Mertens vs V. Golubic Q
M. Joint WC vs J. Pegula 7
E. Rybakina 6 vs E. Jones WC
N. Parrizas Diaz vs I. Jovic WC
D. Kovinic vs L. Sun
M. Sherif vs D. Yastremska 32
M. Keys 19 vs A. Li
I. Begu vs E. Ruse Q
G. Minnen vs D. Aiava Q
D. Snigur Q vs D. Collins 10
B. Haddad Maia 15 vs J. Riera Q
S. Zheng vs E. Andreeva
V. Kudermetova vs O. Gadecki
R. Marino vs K. Boulter 22
E. Svitolina 28 vs S. Cirstea
S. Bejlek Q vs C. Dolehide
T. Townsend vs R. Zarazua
S. Wei Q vs J. Paolini 4
E. Navarro 8 vs P. Stearns
X. Wang vs J. Grabher
A. Kalinina vs O. Jabeur
C. Osorio vs M. Sakkari 31
Y. Putintseva 24 vs E. Avanesyan
S. Zhang WC vs M. Kessler
A. Bondar vs Y. Wang
V. Tomova vs D. Kasatkina 9
A. Kalinskaya 13 vs K. Birrell Q
V. Gracheva vs C. McNally
P. Martic LL vs J. Cristian
L. Bronzetti vs V. Azarenka 21
E. Alexandrova 26 vs E. Raducanu
M. Carle vs A. Anisimova
R. Sramkova vs K. Volynets
K. Siniakova vs I. Swiatek 2
