Title holder in Melbourne, world No.1 Jannik Sinner showed effort to beat Chilean Nicolas Jarry on Monday in the first round of the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz (3rd), Iga Swiatek (2nd) and Coco Gauff (3rd) establishing itself more quickly during a day full of posters.
Sinner overcomes Jarry, Alcaraz strong
Controlled debut for the title holder: Jannik Sinner, who played the first match of his 2025 season on Monday, dominated the Chilean Nicolas Jarry (36th) in three sets. The 23-year-old Italian, winner 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in 2h40, joins his runner-up in the ATP ranking Alexandre Zverev (2nd) in the second round, qualified from Sunday .
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz leaves the court after his victory against Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko in the first round of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, January 13, 2025 / Martin KEEP / AFP
On a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena, the double Grand Slam winner (Australian Open and US Open 2024) came up against fierce resistance from Jarry for two sets, before finally breaking down.
Carlos Alcaraz, in search of the only Grand Slam title in Melbourne that still eludes him, had a calmer entry into the competition, winning 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 against the Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko (77th).
Sovereign during the first and third sets, the world No.3 still had a little scare, broke and led 5-3 in the second set. But the Spaniard did not tremble, lining up four games in a row.
Tsitsipas already out, Kyrgios too
Finalist in Melbourne in 2023, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (12th) was on the other hand eliminated as soon as he entered the fray, picked up cold by the young American Alex Michelsen, 42nd in the world at 20 years old and winner in four sets: 7-5, 6 -3, 2-6, 6-4.
The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas faces the American Alex Michelsen in the first round of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, January 13, 2025 / WILLIAM WEST / AFP
At the end of a disappointing 2024 season, Tsitsipas suffered his earliest elimination in Melbourne since 2018, where he also lost in the first round against Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
“I didn’t manage to play the way I hoped”the Greek could only observe, frustrated at having “too much time to recover” before his next official match.
The American Frances Tiafoe (16th) also suffered against the Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech but emerged after a five-set battle lasting more than four hours.
Highly anticipated for his return to the Grand Slam after more than two years of absence due to injuries, Nick Kyrgios fell in the first round, beaten in three sets by the Briton Jacob Fearnley (92nd).
Gauff and Swiatek pass without incident
Second player in the world, Iga Swiatek wasted little time, winning 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour 20 minutes against the Czech Katerina Siniakova (50th).
The Pole will meet in the next round the Slovak Rebecca Sramkova (49th), who defeated the American Katie Volynets (60th) with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Polish Iga Swiatek poses with fans after her victory against Czech Katerina Siniakova in the first round of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, January 13, 2025 / WILLIAM WEST / AFP
World No.3 Coco Gauff also had an uneventful first round on Monday. In a 100% American duel, the 20-year-old Floridian beat her compatriot Sofia Kenin (74th), winner of the tournament in 2020, 6-3, 6-3.
After this successful start on the Rod Laver Arena, Gauff will face in the second round the British Jodie Burrage (173rd), who dismissed the French qualifier Léolia Jeanjean (149th) in two sets 6-2, 6-4.
With the qualification on Sunday of the double title holder Aryna Sabalenka (1st) and the 2024 finalist Zheng Qinwen (5th), all the members of the top 5 have for the moment validated their ticket for the 2nd round, while waiting for the entry into the running of Jasmine Paolini (4th) on Tuesday.
Sixth in the world, the American Jessica Pegula also easily qualified against the Australian Maya Joint (105th) 6-3, 6-0.
On the Rod Laver Arena, the day will end with the duel between double winner of the Australian Open Naomi Osaka (2019, 2021) and Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia.
