Schedule and Preview Australian Open 2025 Day Four – Wednesday, 15 January featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff

The second round kicks off on Day Four of the Australian Open, featuring appearances by Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Coco Gauff headlining the main courts. Additionally, compelling matchups will unfold on secondary stages, including Naomi Osaka facing Karolina Muchova and Tommy Paul taking on Kei Nishikori.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka (No. 1) will open the day on the main court against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (No. 54), aiming to confirm her excellent form shown early this year. Sabalenka clinched the title at the Brisbane International and debuted with an impressive win against Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2, marking six consecutive victories.

Next up is 10-time champion Novak Djokovic (No. 7), who overcame a one-set deficit against 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy (No. 107). The Serbian initially struggled in the opening set but gradually found a convincing rhythm to secure the win. He now faces 21-year-old Jaime Faria (No. 125), making his Grand Slam main draw debut.

In the night session, World No. 3 Coco Gauff will face British player Jodie Burrage (No. 173) after her confident straight-set win over Sofia Kenin (No. 74). Gauff previously defeated Burrage at the Eastbourne International in 2023.

Closing the night will be Alexander Zverev, who advanced smoothly past wildcard Lucas Pouille (No. 103) in the first round. Zverev now faces Pedro Martínez (No. 44), who benefited from Luciano Darderi’s (No. 45) retirement to advance. The German leads the bottom half of the draw and aims to signal his readiness to challenge for the title.

2023 US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula (No. 6) will face Elise Mertens (No. 34), who, for the first time in 23 consecutive Grand Slam main draws, is unseeded. The experienced Belgian overcame two match points against Victoria Golubic (No. 95) to reach this round.

Following that match, Carlos Alcaraz (No. 3) will take on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka (No. 65) as he seeks a third-round berth. The Spaniard made a strong debut, winning in straight sets against Alexander Shevchenko and demonstrating his ability to quickly elevate his game in pursuit of the title.

In the evening, sixth seed Casper Ruud will seek a more convincing performance than in his opening round, where he struggled against Jaume Munar (No. 62) before prevailing in five sets. Ruud now faces 2024 Newcomer of the Year Jakub Mensik (No. 48).

Paula Badosa, seeded 11th, will close the day against 20-year-old local player Talia Gibson (No. 150), who is playing in just her second Grand Slam main draw and secured her first win against Zeynep Sönmez. Badosa, who had a strong debut, will aim to maintain her late-2024 form.

2023 finalist Zheng Qinwen (No. 5), who opened Day One on Rod Laver Arena, will now face Laura Siegemund (No. 97) after overcoming a determined Anca Todoni. The Chinese player is the clear favourite to advance and stay on course for another final at the Happy Slam.

Local stars Jordan Thompson (No. 27) will face Nuno Borges (No. 33), followed by Ajla Tomljanovic (No. 114) taking on 12th seed Diana Shnaider. The rising Russian talent won three titles last season, climbing from No. 60 to the top 15.

Jack Draper (No. 15) will close the day, facing local favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 71), a challenging opponent with the crowd’s backing. Kokkinakis secured a first-round victory over Roman Safiullin (No. 64) and will now face a top-tier rival eager for a deep tournament run.

Two-time champion Naomi Osaka (No. 51) returns to Rod Laver Arena for a challenging match against Karolina Muchova (No. 20), arguably one of the day’s most exciting clashes. The Czech is in top form after a dominant first-round win over Nadia Podoroska (6-1, 6-1). Meanwhile, Osaka brings confidence from her win against Caroline Garcia (No. 67). Their last encounter was a thrilling battle at the US Open, where Muchova emerged victorious. Both players are proven contenders when in form, making this a must-watch match.

American No. 2 Tommy Paul (No. 11) faces Japan’s Kei Nishikori (No. 76) in the second round. Paul had good news in the opening round as early exits by Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas helped him rise to No. 9 in the live rankings, with a chance to finish the tournament inside the top 10. He defeated Christopher O’Connell (No. 70) in a hard-fought five-set opener.

Other notable matches include Félix Auger-Aliassime against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Reilly Opelka versus Tomáš Macháč, and Mirra Andreeva against Moyuka Uchijima