Outside of an exhibition last month in Abu Dhabi, Rafael Nadal has not competed in a singles match in over five months due to a foot injury. On Thursday, he returns to the singles court in Melbourne. And he will be pulling double duty, as he also has a doubles match scheduled in the evening.
Also on Thursday, ATP Cup action will decide which two countries will join Spain and Poland in the semifinals. Group C’s singles matches alone feature seven top 25 players, and Group B contests are headlined by a top 10 matchup between Daniil Medvedev and Matteo Berrettini.
In Adelaide, the schedule is highlighted by defending champion Iga Swiatek taking on US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, in the first of what could be many career matchups between the 20-year-old from Poland and the 19-year-old Canadian.
Each day, this preview will highlight the most prominent matches from around Australia.
Sydney: The ATP Cup, a Round Robin Team Event between 16 Nations
Top Players: Daniil Medvedev, Sascha Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud
Group Standings are here, Order of Play is here.
Daniil Medvedev [RUS] vs. Matteo Berrettini [ITA] – Second on Ken Rosewall Arena
Russia is currently in qualifying position with a 2-0 record, but Italy can spoil their plans if they win this tie. Medvedev leads their head-to-head 2-0, which includes a match in the final of this event a year ago. On that day, Daniil dominated proceedings by a score of 6-4, 6-2.
Sascha Zverev [GER] vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime [CAN] – Not Before 7:00pm on Qudos Bank Arena
All four teams in Group C are 1-1, leaving semifinal qualification wide open. This is a rematch from a thriller at last year’s Wimbledon, where Auger-Aliassime let a two-set lead slip, yet held on to win in five. However, that is Felix’s only victory over Sascha in their five meetings.
Adelaide: a WTA 500 Event, and an ATP 250 Event
Top WTA Players: Ash Barty, Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Paula Badosa, Iga Swiatek
Top ATP Players: Gael Monfils, Karen Khachanov, Marin Cilic
WTA draw is here, ATP draw is here, and Order of Play is here.
Iga Swiatek (5) vs. Leylah Fernandez – 11:00am on Centre Court
Swiatek was the only WTA player to reach the second week of every Slam in 2021. Fernandez has only played four matches since her exhilarating run in New York. Leylah will also play doubles later in the day, teaming with New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe against Australia’s Ash Barty and Storm Sanders.
Sofia Kenin (6) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic – Not Before 8:30pm on Centre Court
The 2020 Australian Open champion is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2021, when she was only 11-10. Kenin re-added her father as her coach heading into this season. Tomljanovic reached her first Major quarterfinal at The Championships last summer. This is their first meeting at tour-level.
Melbourne: Two WTA 250 Events, and an ATP 25 Event
Top WTA Players: Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, Simona Halep
Top ATP Players: Rafael Nadal, Reilly Opelka, Grigor Dimitrov
The WTA draws are here and here, and the ATP draw is here. The Order of Play is here.
Rafael Nadal (1) vs. Ricardas Berankis (Q) – Third on Rod Laver Arena
Nadal was 24-5 in 2021, with all but one of his losses coming against top 10 opposition. He’s never played 31-year-old Ricardas Berankis, who came through qualifying to defeat Marcos Giron in the first round. Nadal will also play doubles later in the day out on Court 13, teaming with Jaume Munar to face Andrey Golubev and Franko Skugor.
Naomi Osaka (1) vs. Maryna Zanevska – 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
Osaka overcame Alize Cornet in three sets on Tuesday, in her first match since the US Open. Zanevska is a 28-year-old from Belgium who won her first WTA title at a 500-level clay event last July.
