The Australian Open is still only in its ‘Opening Week’, but there has been plenty to keep tennis fans engaged in Melbourne.
The One-Point Slam has been a huge success with players, pundits, and tennis fans, while the qualifying has been as dramatic as ever.
Roger Federer is set to return to tennis at the Grand Slam, while the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur have played out exhibition matches.
Ahead of the Australian Open main draw, Australia have already achieved something not seen for 34 years.
Australia qualifiers break 34-year streak
Australia will be will representing by their top stars and wild cards at its Grand Slam, but they have also hit an impressive number for qualifiers.
For the first time since 1992, four Australians have managed to navigate qualifying and make the Australian Open main draw.
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Jason Kubler, Dane Sweeny, Storm Hunter, and Maddison Inglis have won three back-to-back matches to ensure they will represent their nation on home soil.
That feat has not been hit since the early 1990s when Carl Limberger, Simon Youl, Broderick Dyke, Pat Rafter all qualified for the Australian Open.
Kubler, Sweeny, Hunter, and Inglis will join Emerson Jones, Priscilla Hon, Talia Gibson, Daria Kasatkina, Kimberley Birrell, Adam Walton, Tristan Schoolkate, Aleksandar Vukic, Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Rinky Hijikata, Chris O’Connell, and James Duckworth as Australian representation at the Grand Slam.
Who will the Australian qualifiers play?
After the elation of qualifying for the first Grand Slam of the year, the four Aussies will have been watching the draw with trepidation.
The two male stars have both been given particularly tricky tests, with Kubler set to play Frances Tiafoe in and Sweeny drawing Gaël Monfils.
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Both men have vast amounts of experience on the Grand Slam stage and will be incredibly tough to dispatch in a best-of-five-sets format.
Hunter has been given a difficult test, but one she will certainly believe is winnable. The star will play Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, who is currently the world number 40.
Inglis, meanwhile, has been given the unfortunate situation of being drawn against a compatriot in the first round.
She will play fellow Aussie Birrell, who was guaranteed entry thanks to her world number 76 ranking.
