The Australian Open will see an injured Nick Kyrgios lending vocal support from the sidelines while another Aussie, Alex de Minaur, will carry the weight of fans’ expectations on court.
De Minaur has often been overshadowed by Kyrgios, but he has steadily improved and is now Australia’s number one player.
Last year, the 24-year-old nicknamed ‘Demon’ won his first ATP 500 title and achieved a career-high world ranking of 11.
Despite lacking the powerful weapons of many other male players, De Minaur relies on leg speed, fitness, and heart for his wins, similar to his mentor Lleyton Hewitt.
Last year, Djokovic defeated De Minaur in the Australian Open, but this year, De Minaur started off strong by defeating Djokovic in the United Cup in Perth.
Australian fans will also be anticipating the performance of the Sydney-born Jordan Thompson, who scored a notable victory against Rafa Nadal at the Brisbane International.
Rinky Hijikata, a former U.S. college player, will also be an entrant that home fans will be pinning their hopes on after his surprise run to the U.S. Open fourth round as a wildcard. The 22-year-old son of Japanese immigrants has qualified for the main draw at Melbourne Park directly for the first time and will also defend his doubles title with Jason Kubler.
In the women’s tennis scene, Australia has been hoping for a new standout player since Ash Barty’s retirement. Ajla Tomljanovic, a three-times Grand Slam quarter-finalist, may be Australia’s best chance in the women’s singles, given none of her compatriots are ranked inside the top 100. However, she has been dealing with injuries, estimating before Christmas that she was 15% off her best.
Apart from De Minaur, Hijikata, and Tomljanovic, Australia will also be represented by former #1 women’s player Ash Barty, who un-retired and returned to professional competition in 2021.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
