By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday January 11, 2024
If World No.1 Iga Swiatek is going to experience a breakthrough at the 2024 Australian Open, she’ll have to defeat at least one former Grand Slam champion to do it. The 22-year-old was handed a tricky draw on Thursday in Melbourne, drawing 2020 champion Sofia Kenin as a round one opponent.
Swiatek will then face the winner of a first-round clash between former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins and three-time Slam champion Angelique Kerber in the second round.
Swiatek has been drawn into the same half as 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina, the woman who knocked her out in the round of 16 last year – and the pair could potentially meet in the semifinals.
The Polish juggernaut has never been to the final at the Australian Open. She reached the semis in 2022 and owns a 15-5 lifetime record at the event.
View the full Australian Open women’s singles draw below:
Australian Open women’s singles draw (printable view) pic.twitter.com/8tG9RQ9Wdf
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) January 11, 2024
In blockbuster bottom half first-rounder, four-time Grand Slam champion has been drawn to face France’s Caroline Garcia in the opening round. The winner of that match will face either Beatriz Haddad maia or Linda Fruhvirtova.
2018 AO champion Caroline Wozniacki has been drawn to face 20th-seeded Magda Linette of Poland in the first round.
In the lower half of the draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka, last year’s champion, has drawn a qualifier in round one. Fourth-seeded Coco Gauff, who became a Grand Slam champion for the first time at last year’s US Open, will face Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the opening round.
The quarterfinals shape up as follows, if the seeds hold:
Iga Swiatek vs Marketa Vondrousova
Elena Rybakina vs Jessica Pegula
Maria Sakkari vs Coco Gauff
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ons Jabeur
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