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The Australian Open first round will begin on Sunday, January 12. The year’s first Grand Slam will feature almost all the top players such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff.
While most top guns will aim for glory, a few other players will play in their first Slam after a long while. In this article, we look at four such key players, who are making a comeback at the upcoming Major.
Four comebacks at the 2025 Australian Open
#4 Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori kept playing at Challenger events for most of 2024. The 35-year-old Japanese made his ATP comeback into the Chengdu Open and then played in a few more tournaments. He won the Tali Open and also reached the final of the Hong Kong Open.
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The US Open runner-up has a great backhand and a good return of serve. Though his movement on the court has suffered somewhat because of age, he can still pack a punch in his shots. Nishikori will face Thiago Monteiro of Brazil in the first round, which should be a tough match.
#3 Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka returned to the ATP Tour after a long injury lay-off in July 2024. He played in a few tournaments in the United States, his home country, including the US Open. However, he bowed out from the US Open in the first round itself.
This year, Opelka reached the final of the Brisbane International by beating Djokovic among others. However, he couldn't finish the match and had to retire hurt from the final. He will face Gauthier Onclin of Belgium in the first round of the Australian Open, which should be a relatively easy match.
#2 Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini is a Wimbledon runner-up and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 6 in 2022. Subsequently, the 28-year-old Italian injured his right ankle and was out of action for quite a while. He spent most of 2023 nursing that injury and skipped the Australian Open in 2024. He made a comeback at the Miami Open in 2024 and then reached the second round of each of Wimbledon and US Open. He should pose a considerable threat with his powerful serve and forehand.
Berrettini will face Cameron Norrie in the first round, which should be one of the finest matches of the opening round.
#1 Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios has come through a long lay-off following an abdomen injury that has kept him out of action since June 2023. He reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 but has not played in any Grand Slam match since the following US Open.
The 29-year-old partnered Djokovic as a doubles player at the Brisbane International and will face his first-round match at the Australian Open against Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain. All eyes will be on the maverick Australian at the start of the tournament. When on song, his serve and aggression are a treat to watch.
