Five Possible Intriguing Men's First Round Clashes At Australian Open
Most of the focus in the build-up to the Grand Slam tournament draw ceremonies entails the halves where the top four seeds landed.
That bit won't change with 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic facing his fiercest title challenge in Melbourne in recent memory. Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner will all have a shot at dethroning the most decorated champion in the tournament's history.
But tennis fans will also take a keen interest in some intriguing first-round matches that could happen at next month's tournament, which is set for a historic Sunday start. In this article, we will list the five possible first-round matches worthy of everyone's attention.
5. Andy Murray vs Jack Draper
This could be the match where the baton is officially handed to Jack Draper as the new star of British men's tennis. According to former British star Tim Henman, Andy Murray's days on the ATP Tour are numbered.
So what better way to go out all swinging in a matchup that could pit the masters against the apprentice? Jack Draper has idolized Murray while growing up and has previously stated he was fortunate to share the stage with him at the Davis Cup and during their chaotic drive back home after the event.
Both players will be unseeded at the 2024 Australian Open, so we might see a stalwart of British men's tennis taking on a player tipped to be his successor as early as day one. Murray knows only one way of winning a tennis match: you might need a handful of popcorn bags because it promises to be a long one.
4. Holger Rune vs Stan Wawrinka
One certainty ahead of next season is that Holger Rune and Stan Wawrinka are unlikely to share a friendship dinner table chitchatting about tennis anytime soon. The pair have faced off on the ATP Tour twice, and each occasion was marred with drama.
In their first meeting at the Paris Masters, Wawrinka accused Rune of "acting like a baby." The young Dane did not take kindly to those words and rekindled their spat in their second meeting last season, where the Swiss one-hander defeated Rune in Indian Wells.
Rune told Wawrinka at the net, "You got nothing to say now?" But who knows, maybe a potential duel at next month's Australian Open could be the chance to clear the air and ignite some bromance between them.
3. Jannik Sinner vs Matteo Berrettini
Former Italian No. 1 against current Italian No. 1 would be the ideal headline gracing all the tennis newsletters should this matchup happen. Because of Berrettini's plight (currently ranked 92), he is in danger of facing a Top 32 seed on his Grand Slam return.
One of those players he could face is his countryman Jannik Sinner, who is sitting at a career-high ranking of World No. 4. Sinner and Berrettini have a special relationship. The 22-year-old acknowledged his presence as a spectator during Italy's Davis Cup win in November.
They once played on tour, with Sinner winning in straight sets at the Canadian Open last season. If Berrettini is fit at this point, then we might see these two juggernauts collide in a clash of the heavyweights.
2. Carlos Alcaraz vs Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal deserves to end his tennis career on his terms. He's made it no secret that he wants to do it on a tennis court. But tennis farewells don't work out that way, even though a storybook ending is what drives Nadal at this point.
It is unclear how much he intends to play next year, but he's given his word that he will do so at the Australian Open. Nadal, who will enter the tournament with a Protected Ranking, can face any Top 32 seed in the first round.
And a potential collision against his countryman and his direct successor to the mantle of flagbearer of Spanish men's tennis, Carlos Alcaraz, could materialize.
Nadal leads the head-to-head 2-1, and you best believe the Australian crowd will tear the roof apart if we get episode No. 4 between these two Spanish bullfighters.
1. Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal
The number of standout first-round matches that could happen at next year's Australian Open is fascinating. One of the most prolific rivalries in tennis history could happen in the opening night session, possibly on the first Sunday of the tournament, with the year's first Grand Slam set for an earlier start date than usual.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have played colossal high-stakes matches in the Grand Slam finals. But they could, theoretically, play in the greatest first-round match ever. Very few rivalries in tennis have the mystique and glamor that encapsulate Djokovic-Nadal matches.
They have played 59 times, but their 60th match could be the last one. While the general consensus is that it might not reach the thrills of their previous clashes, it has the likelihood of being the most-watched tennis match of all time and it might happen at the 2024 Australian Open.
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