Schedule and Preview Australian Open 2025 Day Five – Thursday, 16 January featuring Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina

Day 5 of the Australian Open will feature the second round of the men's and women's draws, led by Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, and Elena Rybakina. The day will also include American stars Taylor Fritz, Emma Navarro, and Madison Keys, as well as local hope Alex De Minaur, among others.

The 5-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek (No. 2) faces a tricky opponent in Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova. Just four months ago, Sramkova was outside the top 130, but now she has climbed to No. 46. The 28-year-old led her country to the Billie Jean King Cup final, with key victories over Danielle Collins and Katie Boulter, making her a dangerous rival full of confidence and with nothing to lose against the world No. 2.

Next up is local favourite Alex De Minaur, the 8th seed, who started strong by defeating Botic Van De Zandschulp in straight sets. He will face 23-year-old American Tristan Boyer, making his debut in a Grand Slam main draw.

In the afternoon, Jannik Sinner returns to the court for the second round to face wildcard Tristan Schoolkate (No. 173). This will be Schoolkate’s first appearance in the Australian Open main draw after defeating Taro Daniel in the opening round. The world No. 1 Sinner is coming off a challenging straight-sets win over Nicolas Jarry.

Closing the day is another Italian contender, world No. 4 Jasmine Paolini. The 2-time Grand Slam finalist had an impressive debut against China’s Sijia Wei and will again be the clear favourite against Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa.

The day at Margaret Court Arena is dominated by American players. First up is 8th seed Emma Navarro, who faces China’s Xiyu Wang. Navarro survived a first-round thriller against Peyton Stearns, showing her composure in crucial moments to avoid an early upset.

Following that match, American No. 1 Taylor Fritz, world No. 4, takes the court. Fritz cruised past Jenson Brooksby (6-2, 6-0, 6-3) in the first round, marking Brooksby’s return to the Tour after a 13-month hiatus. Fritz now faces former world No. 17 Cristian Garin, who has shown promising form, advancing through the qualifiers and defeating Borna Coric in straight sets.

Madison Keys, the 19th seed, is on a 6-match winning streak (8-1 record for the season) after winning the Adelaide International title against Jessica Pegula. The 2017 US Open runner-up faces Romanian qualifier Elena Gabriela Ruse.

In the evening, 3-time finalist Daniil Medvedev goes up against rising star Learner Tien, recent runner-up at the Next Gen ATP Finals. Medvedev had a challenging opening match against Kasidit Samrej, showing visible frustration but ultimately winning in five sets.

Hubert Hurkacz faces his second test after a solid debut against Tallon Griekspoor. The Pole, who slipped in the rankings in 2024, is aiming to regain his elite status this season. He meets former world No. 27 Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round.

Following that is 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who had an impressive start against 18-year-old Emerson Jones. She now faces another promising American talent, Iva Jovic, a junior doubles champion at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

An intriguing match is set between 13th seed Holger Rune and former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini. The Italian, when in top physical form, has proven his strength, demonstrated by a triumphant debut against Cameron Norrie. Rune currently leads their head-to-head 3-1, all encounters on hard courts, with the most recent victory coming three months ago at the Shanghai Masters (Rune 4-6, 6-3, 6-3).