Australian Open draw: Emma Raducanu handed tough first-round match as Katie Boulter and Jack Draper also learn fate

9 January 2025, 06:14 | Updated: 9 January 2025, 07:34

Emma Raducanu is the only British player to draw a seed at the Australian Open after being paired with Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova in round one.

Former US Open champion Raducanu pulled out of her scheduled warm-up tournament in Auckland with a back niggle but has been practicing at Melbourne Park this week.

The British No 2 will have to be sharp from the start of her campaign after being paired with 26th seed Alexandrova.

• When is the Australian Open? Dates and schedule
• Steam ATP and WTA Tours with NOW - no contract
• ATP Tour calendar 2025 - tournaments and winners
• Novak Djokovic: I still suffer trauma after deportation

Katie Boulter, who is seeded for the first time here at 22, will take on Canada's Rebecca Marino hoping to build on her encouraging start to the season at the United Cup while men's 15th seed and British No 1 Jack Draper faces Argentina's Mariano Navone.

Like Raducanu, Draper's preparations have been disrupted by injury, with a hip problem delaying his journey to Australia, but the US Open semi-finalist will hope for another deep run providing his body holds up.

Elsewhere in the draw Britain's Jacob Fearnley was handed a blockbuster debut against Nick Kyrgios.

British duo Harriet Dart and Billy Harris will not feature in the first round having both lost at the final stage of qualifying. Dart was beaten in straight sets by Japan's Nao Hibino, 4-6 5-7. Meanwhile, Harris lost 7-5 6-2 to Poland's Kamil Majchrzak.

Should Draper make the fourth round, he could face third seed Carlos Alcaraz, while Novak Djokovic is also in that quarter of the draw.

The Serbian, who has slipped to seventh in the rankings, will have new coach Andy Murray in his box for the first time in his opening match against young American wild card Nishesh Basavareddy.

Scot Fearnley was still at college in the United States during last year's tournament but has rocketed up to 86 in the world after a stunning start to his professional tennis career, which included taking a set off Djokovic at Wimbledon.

That earned the 23-year-old a main-draw spot at Melbourne Park, and it is set to be an occasion to remember against home star Kyrgios - providing the former Wimbledon finalist is fit enough to compete.

Kyrgios has not played in his home slam since 2022 after two years on the sidelines following knee and wrist surgeries.

He admitted after making his return at the Brisbane International last week that he is not sure if his wrist will hold up to best-of-five-set tennis, while he also has a minor abdominal strain.

Men's No 1 seed Jannik Sinner, who is defending a Grand Slam title for the first time, is away from all his rivals in the top half and opens against Chilean Nicolas Jarry.

Also in that section is British No 2 Cameron Norrie, who has been given a difficult first match against former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.

Jodie Burrage will make her Grand Slam return against a qualifier after wrist and ankle problems last year while debutant Sonay Kartal faces Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

The winner of that clash is likely to face two-time defending champion and top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who has an eye-catching opener against former US Open winner Sloane Stephens.

Sabalenka is bidding to become only the sixth woman in the Open era to win three Australian Open titles in a row and the first since Martina Hingis in the 1990s.

The Belarusian is in the same half of the draw as Coco Gauff, who takes on former champion Sofia Kenin - the player she lost to in the first round of Wimbledon in 2023 - first up.

Second seed Iga Swiatek faces Katerina Siniakova while a rematch of last year's first round pits Naomi Osaka against Caroline Garcia.

Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Australian Open draw: Emma Raducanu handed tough first-round match as Katie Boulter and Jack Draper also learn fate