Women’s world number one and defending Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka, has been handed a tricky match against Sloane Stephens of the United States in the first round of the year’s first grand slam.
Scheduled to serve off January 12, Sabalenka is gunning for a third successive Australian Open title and will hope to keep up her form from the Brisbane International where she won the title in three sets against Polina Kudermetova.
Elsewhere in the women’s singles at the Australian Open, in-form Coco Gauff gets her grand slam campaign underway against American compatriot, Sofia Kenin.
Naomi Osaka faces Caroline Garcia, Jelena Ostapenko has been drawn to meet Belinda Bencic, Jessica Pegula comes up against Australian wild card Maya Joint, while Elena Rybakina meets another Australian wild card in Emerson Jones.
The Australian Open begins January 12, with the women’s singles final holding January 25.