The Australian Open round of 128 draw has been revealed, and two former Grand Slam winners will face off in a titan opening match.
WTA world number one Iga Swiatek has been drawn against 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in what could be the biggest round-one clash at Melbourne Park this year.
In addition, this will be the third consecutive opening round match between two former Grand Slam winners after Emma Raducanu met Sloane Stephens in 2022 and Victoria Azarenka played Kenin in 2023.
Despite the high-profile nature of the Swiatek vs Kenin match at the Australian Open, one player is the standout favourite to progress from the tie.
22-year-old Swiatek is one of the leading favorites to go all the way at Melbourne Park and notch a fifth career Grand Slam after she amassed a 16-match winning streak heading into the first major of the season.
In contrast, Kenin was out of form late in 2023, and her downturn has continued into early 2024. Late last season, the American player crashed out in the first round at both the China Open and Korea Open, losing to Aryna Sabalenka and Jang Su-Jeong, respectively.
But the 25-year-old's difficulties have continued into 2024 as Kenin lost in the first round at the Brisbane International before elimination in round two at the Hobart International. As a result, the American's hopes of getting past in-form Swiatek seem slim.
To add to the uphill challenge awaiting Kenin, Swiatek was victorious in the only previous meeting between the players at the 2020 Roland Garros final. Here, a young Swiatek blew away the former Australian Open champion with a convincing straight-sets win.
With this being the third consecutive season of such a matchup, it's very possible that the streak will keep going also in 2025, with many former Grand Slam champion currently not occupying seeded places on the WTA Tour.
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