The schedule has been set for the opening day of the 2024 Australian Open (14-28 January, 2024) with as previously mooted, Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka both starting their campaigns during the Night Session on Rod Laver Arena.
Our preview looks ahead to the opening day of the first Grand Slam of the season with Sunday 14 January heralding an extra day that is usually not on the calendar for this tournament. Also in action include Jannik Sinner and Caroline Wozniacki who will play on Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena respectively.
Sinner, Sakkari, Djokovic and Sabalenka set for Rod Laver Arena
The four players picked to open the tournament on Rod Laver Arena are Jannik Sinner, Maria Sakkari and the two defending champions in Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka.
Sinner hasn't been seen since he defeated Novak Djokovic en route to winning the Davis Cup Finals with Italy. Deciding instead to take more of an extended break from the tour during the off season, it will be interesting to see which Sinner comes out of the hat after his best season to date. He faces Botic van de Zandschulp first up in a match that could be a tough examination, but in reality if he has ambitions of moving on further will be one he deals with comfortably.
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Then it is Sakkari who has come unstuck in these kinds of situations in 2023 in her best and worst year on the tour as she finally won a title again but found herself prior to that in floods of tears after not being able to win her opening match at the US Open as it looked like her career had stalled. Always a top player in the WTA she will hope for a better start to the year.
Novak Djokovic then plays in the Night Session on Sunday morning with 18-year-old rising star, Dino Prizmic from Croatia playing in the match of his life after coming through qualifying. A lot of doubt has swirled Djokovic due to his wrist and he will aim to banish that with a clinical display. As will Aryna Sabalenka who reached the final of Brisbane but was royally thrashed by Elena Rybakina in a clinic from the Kazakh. She faces a qualifier herself in Ella Seidel.
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Wozniacki, Fernandez, Anisimova, Fritz and a rising Junior Champion elsewhere
Often though the stories come from elsewhere in Melbourne though whether that is emphatic wins or shocks. Leylah Fernandez is among those in action after impressing at the United Cup at times and after picking up her first titles in some years at the end of last season.
Caroline Wozniacki also returns to the site of some of her greatest moments including her Grand Slam title and also her retirement albeit it won't be Sweet Caroline on Rod Laver as she plays on Margaret Court alongside Frances Tiafoe, Andrey Rublev and Barbora Krejcikova.
Elsewhere, Taylor Fritz will open his campaign after a torrid time as of late, while one to look out for perhaps is last year's girls champion, Alina Korneeva who many see as the next Mirra Andreeva off the cab rank. She beat the 16-year-old in the final last season and has been dominating on the ITF Tour. She makes her Grand Slam debut this time around and will be one to look out for.
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Schedule in full - Day One 2024 Australian Open
| Rod Laver Arena | Margaret Court Arena | John Cain Arena | Kia Arena | 1573 Arena | Court 3 | Court 6 | Court 7 | Court 13 | Court 17 |
| Day Session From 1:00am GMT | Day Session From 1:00am GMT | Day Session From 12:00am GMT | Day Session From 12:00am GMT | Day Session From 12:00am GMT | Day Session From 12:00am GMT | Day Session From 12:00am GMT | Day Session From 2:00am GMT | Day Session From 2:00am GMT | Day Session From 3:00am GMT |
| (4) Jannik Sinner (ITA) v Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) | Mai Hontama (JPN) (WC) v (9) Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) | (32) Leylah Fernandez v Sara Bejlek (CZE) (Q) | Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) v Adam Walton (AUS) (WC) | (28) Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) v Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) | Alexander Shevchenko v Jaume Munar (ESP) | Kamilla Rakhimova v Emma Bektas (USA) | Zhuoxuan Bai (CHN) v Elina Avanesyan | Tamara Korpatsch (GER) v Jodie Burrage (GBR) | Ana Bogdan (ROU) v Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) (Q) |
| (8) Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Nao Hibino (JPN) | Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) v (5) Andrey Rublev | Dane Sweeney (AUS) (Q) v (22) Francisco Cerunodlo (ARG) | Alize Cornet (FRA) (WC) v Maria Timofeeva (Q) | Fabian Marozsan (HUN) v Marin Cilic (CRO) | Alycia Parks (USA) v Daria Snigur (UKR) (Q) | Pavel Kotov v Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) | Diane Parry (FRA) v Xiyu Wang (CHN) (30) | Tomas Machac (CZE) v Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN) (LL) | Jesper de Jong (NED) (Q) v Pedro Cachin (ARG) |
| Night Session - from 8:00am GMT | Night Session - from 8:00am GMT | Day Session - not before 5:00am GMT | Liudmila Samsonova (13) v Amanda Anisimova (USA) | J.J Wolf (USA) v Sebastian Baez (ARG) | Christopher O'Connell (AUS) v Cristian Garin (CHI) | Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) v Alina Korneeva (Q) | Quentin Halys (FRA) v Lloyd Harris (SA) (Q) | Caroline Dolehide (USA) v Leolia Jeanjean (FRA) (Q) | |
| (1) Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Dino Prizmic (Q) | (20) Magda Linette (POL) v Caroline Wozniacki (WC) | (12) Taylor Fritz (USA) v Facundo Diaz Acosta (ARG) | Day Session - not before 6:00am GMT | ||||||
| Ella Seidel (GER) v (2) Aryna Sabalenka | (17) Frances Tiafoe (USA) v Borna Coric (CRO) | Daniel Elahi Galan (COL) v Jason Kubler (AUS) (WC) |
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