Fan favourite Nick Kyrgios will return to the Australian Open in January, playing his first Grand Slam since 2022. The 28-year-old will enter the main draw using a protected ranking of No. 21, following a series of injuries that have kept him off the court for extended periods.
Kyrgios, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, is one of 11 Australians confirmed in the main draw, including 10 men. The Canberra-born player, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 in 2016, has previously made a deep run in Melbourne, reaching the quarter-finals in 2015. His best Grand Slam result came at Wimbledon in 2022, where he reached his first singles final before losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
While the Australian Open will mark his return to the sport, Kyrgios will also be aiming to add the Melbourne singles crown to the men’s doubles title he won in 2022 with Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kyrgios made a stunning run in doubles with Kokkinakis, capturing the title in an emotional victory for the home crowd.
The other Australian men to gain direct entry into the main draw include top-10 star Alex de Minaur, Kokkinakis, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Chris O’Connell, Aleksandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, James Duckworth, and Adam Walton.
In the women’s draw, Olivia Gadecki is the only Australian to gain direct entry into the main draw.
Other Comebacks and Protected Rankings
In addition to Kyrgios, the Australian Open will also see the return of Swiss star Belinda Bencic, who is making her comeback after the birth of her daughter, Bella, in April. Both Kyrgios and Bencic are among 12 players (six men and six women) who will compete in Melbourne using protected rankings, meaning the main draw entry ranking cut-off for both fields will be at No. 98.
A total of 104 players have been directly accepted into both the men’s and women’s singles draws, with 8 wildcard entries available. The remaining 16 spots in the 128-player fields will be filled through qualifiers, with the final round of qualification taking place at Melbourne Park on 9 January, ahead of the tournament’s start on 12 January.
Defending Champions and Title Contenders
Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will return to Melbourne to defend his Australian Open title, while Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for an 11th Australian Open crown, will be chasing his 25th Grand Slam singles title, a record in the Open Era. In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will look to complete a hat-trick of titles in Melbourne, after winning in 2023.
The Australian Open 2024 promises to be an exciting tournament, with several star players making their comebacks, including Kyrgios, Bencic, and many more.
