Canadian Tennis Stars Face Tough Draws at 2025 Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — The 2025 Australian Open draw revealed challenging paths for Canada’s top tennis stars as they prepare to compete in the first Grand Slam of the year. Five Canadians secured direct entry into the main draw, with Leylah Annie Fernandez and Rebecca Marino leading the women’s singles, while Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, and Gabriel Diallo represent the men’s side.

Fernandez, seeded 30th, faces a relatively smooth start against Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva, ranked No. 100, in the first round. However, her journey could take a dramatic turn in the third round, where she is projected to meet world No. 3 Coco Gauff, one of the tournament favorites. Fernandez has yet to advance past the second round in five previous appearances at Melbourne Park.

Marino, meanwhile, drew a tough first-round matchup against No. 22 seed Katie Boulter of Great Britain. Boulter has won both of their previous encounters, including a straight-sets victory last year in Nottingham. Marino, making her eighth Australian Open appearance, holds a 2-7 record at the event, with her best results being two second-round finishes.

On the men’s side, Auger-Aliassime, seeded 29th, opens against Germany‘s Jan-Lennard Struff. The Canadian leads their head-to-head on hard courts but faces a tricky path, with potential matchups against No. 6 seed Casper Ruud in the third round and second-seeded Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. Auger-Aliassime reached the quarterfinals in 2022, his best result in Melbourne.

Shapovalov, ranked No. 58, will face Spain‘s Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. The Canadian has won all three of their previous meetings, including two on hard courts in 2024. A victory could set up a second-round clash with No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti, followed by potential battles against Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.

Diallo, making his Australian Open main draw debut, will take on Italy‘s Luca Nardi, who famously upset Novak Djokovic last year. If Diallo advances, he could face Karen Khachanov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alex de Minaur in subsequent rounds. The 23-year-old Montreal native is looking to build on his breakthrough 2024 season, which saw him climb to a career-high ranking of No. 86.

All three Canadian men avoided the tournament’s toughest quarter, which features 10-time champion Novak Djokovic and four-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz. Auger-Aliassime is the lone Canadian in the bottom half of the draw, potentially setting up a semifinal clash with one of the sport’s biggest stars.

The Australian Open begins Monday, with Canadian fans hopeful for strong performances from their nation’s rising tennis talents.