The stage is set for some stellar competition at Adelaide International 2025.
Draws for the WTA and ATP tournaments were unveiled at The Drive on Saturday, placing good friends, Grand Slam finalists and rising stars on opposing sides of the court from the outset of play.
Thanasi Kokkinakis, who lifted the Adelaide trophy in 2022, appreciates both the opportunities and challenges ahead.
“You never know when it’s going to be your week, when it’s not,” said world No.77 Kokkinakis, who will face 45th-ranked Zhang Zhizhen in the first round. “There’s so many weeks in the tennis year where it’s hard because as Aussies you want to do so well playing in the home events, Adelaide, Aussie Open.”
Kokkinakis, one of four Australian men with direct main-draw entry, is joined by Aleksandar Vukic (who meets Marcos Giron), Chris O’Connell (facing Arthur Rinderknech) and wildcard recipient Tristan Schoolkate (versus No.8 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry).
As the top-four seeds, Tommy Paul (No.1), Sebastian Korda (No.2), Tomas Machac (No.3) and Jiri Lehecka (No.4) receive first-round byes. Lehecka, the defending men’s champion, will arrive in Adelaide after contesting the Brisbane International final.
In one of the more intriguing first-round matches in the men’s field, Canadian countrymen and good friends Felix Auger-Aliassime (the No.5 seed) and Denis Shapovalov will face each other.
> READ MORE: Stage set for star showings at Adelaide International
Two of the game’s most exciting young women’s prospects – world No.16 teenager Mirra Andreeva and Australian Open 2024 quarterfinalist Linda Noskova – will meet in the first round of the WTA 500 tournament.
It will be the pair’s second match in as many tournaments, after Andreeva claimed a 6-3 6-0 victory over Noskova on her way to the Brisbane International semifinals.
There is also a tantalising clash between former Grand Slam finalists when Danielle Collins and Ons Jabeur meet in the opening round.
Collins, a runner-up to Ash Barty at Australian Open 2022, initially announced 2024 would be her last year on tour but shelved those retirement plans in the closing stages of a stellar season.
Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon finalist and runner-up at the US Open, is contesting her first tournament in more than five months in Australia after a shoulder injury severely impacted her 2024 season.
Defending champion Jelena Ostapenko faces Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the first round.
Many eyes will also be on local stars in the South Australian capital. Queensland’s Olivia Gadecki faces No.3 seed Daria Kasatkina in the opening round while world No.1 junior Emerson Jones is drawn to meet a qualifier.
The top two women’s seeds, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, each receive a first-round bye.
> BUY NOW: Tickets for the Adelaide International are on sale via Ticketmaster.