SUMMARY
- The wildcards list for the Australian Open is out.
- Caroline Wozniacki is the biggest name to feature on the list.
The new tennis season is upon us, which means that the date for the start of the Australian Open draws nearer. It is the first Grand Slam of the year, and players are gearing up to put their best foot forward. The tournament is a marquee event and one of the biggest tournaments in the Southern Hemisphere.
Recently, the wildcards for the tournament were announced, and several known faces will be making a return. In this article, we will take a closer look at the players who will take to the courts in Melbourne as wildcards.
Women’s singles at the Australian Open
- Caroline Wozniacki: The Dane is one of the biggest names to feature on this list. Her tennis career is greatly intertwined with the event. Caroline won her maiden major title in 2018 and played her last match before her retirement in 2020 at Melbourne Park. Coming back as a wildcard at the tournament is surely a special occasion for the Dane.
- Daria Saville: The Aussie star has been playing consistently since returning to the tour in 2023. Saville is a former top-20 player, and she has made it to the fourth round on two separate occasions. Backed by the home crowd, Daria will hope to give her best.
- Alize Cornet: The French player is a veteran of the sport. Cornet is set to make her 64th consecutive appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
- Kimberly Birrell: The Australian player will also play as a wildcard in front of the home crowd. Birrell will hope for her luck at major tournaments to change this year.
- Olivia Gadecki: Gadecki is another Australian player to be awarded a wildcard this year. Her participation has bolstered the number of Australians in the main draw.
- Taylah Preston: The youngest of all the participating Aussies. Preston’s name rounds up the list of wildcards for women’s singles in Melbourne this year.
Men’s singles at the AO
- James McCabe: This 20-year-old Aussie is set to make his Grand Slam debut. McCabe has shown remarkable improvement in 2023, as he moved up 100 places in the rankings. He came close to defeating Dominic Thiem at Brisbane International before Thiem prevailed.
- Jason Kubler: Kubler took on the resurgent Rafael Nadal at Brisbane International recently. He was no match for the Spaniard, who defeated him in straight sets. Kubler will hope to play better at the major tournament.
- James Duckworth: This Aussie has also got a wildcard entry into the main draw of the Australian Open. He has been playing well and reached the quarterfinals in Brisbane before Holger Rune defeated him.
- Shang Juncheng: This 18-year-old rising star received the men’s Asia-Pacific wildcard. Nicknamed ‘Jerry’, he made a memorable debut in Melbourne in 2023.
- Arthur Cazaux: This 21-year-old is this year’s French reciprocal wildcard.
- Patrick Kypson: is this year’s wildcard from the US.
Fans have much to look forward to, as the Australian Open is just around the corner. Stay tuned for more, as the tournament commences on January 14.