Australian Open 2025 Draw: Novak Djokovic's projected path to the final ft. potential QF with Carlos Alcaraz, and SF with Alexander Zverev

The draw for the Australian Open 2025 was unveiled on Thursday (January 9), and Novak Djokovic found out who stands between him and a shot at history. He is vying to win a record 25th Grand Slam title, which will also be his milestone 100th career title.

Djokovic is the most successful player in the history of the tournament, with 10 titles to his name. He started the new season with a 7-6 (6), 6-3 loss to Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International. If he intends to go all the way here, then he will need to step up his game.

Djokovic has defied the odds many times in the past, and with new coach Andy Murray by his side, he will be bidding to etch his name in the record books once again. Here's a look at his potential challengers en route to the Australian Open 2025 final:

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R1 opponent - Nishesh Basavareddy

Djokovic will begin his campaign against rising young star Basavareddy. The 19-year-old reached the semifinals of the ongoing ASB Classic in Auckland and knocked out defending champion Alejandro Tabilo as well. However, getting the better of a player of the Serb's caliber will be an uphill battle for the teenager at this point in his career.

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R2 opponent - Pavel Kotov or Qualifier

Djokovic should be able to beat Kotov in their very first tour-level meeting. The latter hasn't been past the second round here and has won only 36 matches on the ATP Tour throughout his career. The former World No. 1 could also face a yet-to-be-placed qualifier, and should be able to beat him as well, whoever that may be.

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Possible R3 opponent - Reilly Opelka or Tomas Machac

Things start to get tricky for Djokovic from the third round onwards. He could potentially meet Opelka, who just beat him last week in straight sets in Brisbane. Machac also won their previous encounter, albeit on clay, at last year's Geneva Open.

However, both are currently dealing with an injury scare. If he's not at his best, then the Serb could potentially be staring at an early exit from the Australian Open, provided his opponents are healthy enough to challenge him.

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Possible R4 opponent - Grigor Dimitrov or Jiri Lehecka

Either Dimitrov or Lehecka are likely to be Djokovic's fourth-round opponents. The Serb leads the Bulgarian 12-1 in the head-to-head and will prefer to play him given his record.

Dimitrov is also dealing with an injury and abandoned his title defense in Brisbane following a mid-match retirement in the semifinals. Lehecka was the beneficiary of that retirement and won the title as well. Djokovic won his only match against Lehecka at last year's United Cup in three sets.

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Possible QF opponent - Carlos Alcaraz or Jack Draper

Djokovic could bump into familiar rival Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. He leads his younger rival 4-3 in the head-to-head and has won both of their matches on hardcourts. The Spaniard is aiming to complete a Career Grand Slam, so the pressure is on for him as well. A repeat of their Paris Olympics final could be on the cards here, which went the Serb's way.

Draper, who made the semifinals of last year's US Open, is another potential adversary for Djokovic at this stage. However, the Brit withdrew from his warm-up events as a precautionary measure, and may not be at his best. This round is likely to be a showdown between the Serb and Alcaraz, which could go either way.

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Possible SF opponent - Alexander Zverev or Casper Ruud

If Djokovic can get past Alcaraz, then two-time Australian Open semifinalist Zverev could stand between him and a spot in the final. The German is another player battling an injury concern. He was forced to skip his United Cup quarterfinal clash due to a bicep strain.

Djokovic leads Zverev 8-4 in their head-to-head and has won all three of their encounters at the Majors. Based on seedings, Ruud is a possible player the 37-year-old could meet in the semifinals, though the Norwegian has never advanced beyond the quarterfinals here.

Former Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul is another candidate, and Djokovic beat him in the semifinals en route to the title here in 2023. Nick Kyrgios and Ugo Humbert are other notable names in this section of the draw who could turn out to be his probable opponents.

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Possible Final opponent - Jannik Sinner

Defending champion Sinner is likely to stand opposite Djokovic should he make the final. The Italian beat him in the semifinals en route to the title last year, posted a 73-6 record in 2024, and won the US Open as well.

Their rivalry is tied at four wins apiece, and Sinner has won four of their last five matches. Should he falter early on, then three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev has a strong chance to advance to the final, along with last year's US Open finalist Taylor Fritz.

Djokovic leads Medvedev 10-5 in their head-to-head and beat him in the Australian Open final four years ago. The Serb has a perfect 10-0 record against Fritz and will be rooting for him to make the final given their lopsided rivalry.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up here in 2023. home favorites Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton are some of the other notable names who could make the final. Djokovic will start as the favorite against all three of them. He has a tricky draw but he has been in this situation many times before and has managed to come out on top as well. He will hope to do so yet again to rewrite history.