From a long queue to tennis players guiding spectators: An inside look at action-packed Day 1 ft. Paula Badosa at Adelaide International

The 2025 Adelaide International opened on Monday, January 6, with Spain's Paula Badosa scheduled to take the court on Day 1. Australian tennis player Li Tu and tournament director Alicia Molik scanned tickets for the spectators to officially open the tournament at The Drive.

The tournament will host several players across the ATP and WTA tours for a week before culminating on January 11.

Tu, the World No. 172, and Molik were joined by Hon. Katerine Hildyard, the South Australian Minster for Recreation, Sport and Racing. The event also marked the opening of Kids' Day at the tournament.

"It's just brilliant to be here as the Adelaide International gets underway," Hildyard told the media on site. "This Adelaide International 2025 is bigger and better, we have 12 of the world's Top 20 women right here at The Drive, that is world-class tennis, right here in our backyard. There's something here for everyone. I'm not surprised that today's Kids' Day is again a sellout and more than 35,000 people have already purchased tickets."

Spectators lined up at The Drive early in the morning to catch their favorite players in action. Notably, Emily and Chloe, accompanied by their mother Katie, were the first ones to get their tickets scanned by Tu and Molik at the venue's South East Gate as scores of tennis fans waited for their turn in a long queue.

Chloe (L) and Emily (R) with Katie (C) at The Drive.

Li Tu (L), Alicia Molik (turned back), and Hone Katerine Hildyard scanned tickets.

Molik was particularly excited about Spain's Paula Badosa to open the first evening session of the 2025 Adelaide International. Badosa, the No. 5 seed, will take on qualifier Peyton Stearns in the opening round at the centre court on Monday.

The tournament direction also looks forward to seeing home favorites Emerson Jones and Olivia Gadecki, taking on Wang Xinyu and Daria Kasatkina, respectively, in the first round.

"It's a bumper day here," Molik told the media. "I'm incredibly excited to watch Paula Badosa lift off our evening session tonight, followed by Thanasi Kokkinakis. We've got two players on the rise today, two young females will be in action, Olivia Gadecki as well as Emerson Jones—currently World No. 1 junior— so she's definitely the one to watch. And of course, we've got Sebastian Korda, Tommy Paul, Felix Auger-Aliassime, so many stars of the game."

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"Player of the stature of Maria Sakkari had to go through qualifying—signifies the strength of our event" - Adelaide International tournament director Alicia Molik

Maria Sakkari (Getty)

At the same event, Alicia Molik underlined the fierce competitiveness of the 2025 Adelaide International, mentioning Greece's Maria Sakkari's failure in the qualifying stages.

Sakkari, the World No. 32, received a walkover (6-2, 4-0) against Zheng Saisai in her first qualifying match but lost 6-4, 6-7(10), 6-3 to Peyton Stearns in the second.

"Maria Sakkari, she lost in qualifying, however, she does have a lucky loser spot so that just, I think, signifies the strength of our event. A player of the stature of Maria Sakkari, ranked 32 in the world, had to go through the qualifying stages," Molik said.

Notably, Sakkari has entered the main draw as a lucky loser and will face Czech Linda Noskova in the first round of the 2025 Adelaide International on Tuesday, January 7.