Match Details
Fixture: (17) Frances Tiafoe vs Arthur Rinderknech
Date: January 13, 2025
Tournament: Australian Open 2025
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (outdoor)
Prize Money: A$ 96.5 million (US $59.3 million)
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, ESPN | UK - Eurosport | Canada - TSN, RDS
Frances Tiafoe vs Arthur Rinderknech preview
17th seed Frances Tiafoe will face Arthur Rinderknech in the first round of the Australian Open 2025.
Tiafoe had a 33-26 record in 2024, with a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Open and the ATP 250 in Houston being among his best results. He also advanced to the semifinals of the US Open for the second time in three years and finished the season ranked inside the top 20 for the third year in a row.
Tiafoe started the 2025 season by taking part in the Brisbane International. He beat Adam Walton 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the first round, and then lost to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the next round.
Rinderknech posted a 21-22 record last year. A semifinal showing at the Atlanta Open was the furthest he went in a tournament. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Lyon Open and the Open 13 Marseille. He lost in the first round of the Australian Open, and the second round of the other three Majors.
Rinderknech started the new season with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the Brisbane International. He stumbled at the first hurdle the following week at the Adelaide International as well, going down 7-5, 7-6 (5) to Christopher O'Connell.
Frances Tiafoe vs Arthur Rinderknech head-to-head
Rinderknech leads Tiafoe 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter in the second round of last year's Lyon Open in straight sets.
Frances Tiafoe vs Arthur Rinderknech odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Frances Tiafoe vs Arthur Rinderknech prediction
Tiafoe struggled to get going at any tournaments that didn't take place in the US last year. He reached the quarterfinals of a tournament outside of his home country only thrice and didn't advance to a semifinal outside of the US at all.
Rinderknech's results in 2024 were rather average, and he has started the new season with back-to-back losses. He reached the second round of the Australian Open on his main draw debut in 2022 and has lost in the first round since then.
Tiafoe had his Major breakthrough at the Australian Open 2019 when he advanced to the quarterfinals of a Major for the first time in his career. He hasn't replicated or surpassed that result since then, with a third-round showing in 2023 being his best result in Melbourne since his quarterfinal appearance.
While a deep run remains uncertain for now, Tiafoe should be able to make a winning start to his campaign in Melbourne given Rinderknech's recent struggles. While the American lost to his opponent in the only prior encounter, he should be able to turn the tables on him this time.
Pick: Frances Tiafoe to win in four sets.