Emma Raducanu will face American Shelby Rogers in the opening round of the Australian Open, while Andy Murray has been drawn against the 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry and could face defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Raducanu has been granted a place in the main draw due to her protected ranking after missing eight months of last season following wrist and ankle surgeries and will meet an opponent in Rogers who she thrashed on her way to winning the US Open in 2021.
Raducanu sparked fears that she could miss the Australian Open after pulling out of a charity match against Naomi Osaka on Tuesday before skipping another exhibition at the Kooyong Classic, but practised on Thursday at Melbourne Park.
American Rogers, who was also an unseeded player and has slipped outside of the world’s top 100 after not playing since Wimbledon, represents a kind draw for the returning Raducanu. All the British players in the women’s singles avoided seeded opponents, with Katie Boulter facing Yuan Yue while Jodie Burrage takes on Tamara Korpatsch in their opening matches.
Meanwhile, the returning Naomi Osaka will face a tough test on her grand slam return after being drawn against Caroline Garcia - the former WTA Finals champion and 16th seed. Osaka is playing her first grand slam since having a baby and her first-round match was one of a number of headline opening matches in the women’s singles.
In an eye-catching section, world No 1 Iga Swiatek will face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, with the winner playing another past winner in the returning Angelique Kerber or former finalist Danielle Collins. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will play a qualifier while last year’s runner-up Elena Rybakina was drawn against former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova.
In the men’s draw, Murray was the only British player to draw a seed and takes on the Argentine Etcheverry. The 36-year-old Scot would expect to play defending champion Djokovic in the third round if he makes it that far. Djokovic, who will open against a qualifier, is targetting an 11th Australian Open title this month while Carlos Alcaraz could meet Dan Evans in the second round, if the Brit makes his way past Lorenzo Sonego.
Cameron Norrie, the only British seed, faces Juan Pablo Varillas, while Jack Draper plays Marcos Giron.
A meeting between former grand slam finalists Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round was the pick of the men’s ties, while Jannik Sinner landed in Djokovic’s half with Daniil Medvedev falling into the bottom half of the draw along with Alcaraz.
