Taylor Fritz Dominates in Australian Open First Round as Jenson Brooksby Returns

MELBOURNE, Australia — Taylor Fritz showcased his dominance in a swift first-round victory at the Australian Open on Tuesday, defeating fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 in just under two hours. The match marked Brooksby‘s return to professional tennis after a two-year hiatus due to multiple wrist surgeries and other setbacks.

Fritz, the fourth seed and last year’s US Open runner-up, needed only 1¾ hours to secure the win at John Cain Arena. Brooksby, who holds a protected ranking of No. 52, struggled to find his rhythm in his first competitive match since January 2023. Despite a brief moment of brilliance with a lunging backhand winner to save a match point, Brooksby was unable to challenge Fritz’s consistent play.

“A little disappointed with the loss, but there’s just been so much going on in the last couple years… and I didn’t know if I could get back out here,” Brooksby said. “So I’m just grateful to be back and just glad to have gotten a match.”

Fritz, who reached the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park last year, is aiming for another deep run in the tournament. “I guess that first match in the Slam there’s a bit of nerves,” Fritz said. “So I did a really good job.”

In other early men’s results, No. 19 seed Matteo Berrettini advanced with a 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3 victory, while Gael Monfils outlasted 21-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a grueling five-set match, 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-4. Monfils, a 38-year-old tour veteran, demonstrated his experience against the rising star Mpetshi Perricard, who was making his debut at the Australian Open.

Brooksby, who reached the fourth round of the 2021 US Open as a wild-card entry, is now focused on rebuilding his ranking. “It was great to be under that crowd energy again. It was very uplifting,” he said. “Clearly a lot to work on, but can’t be disappointed after this long.”

Fritz, meanwhile, has set his sights on achieving even greater success in 2025. “The general goal right now is to have just big results at the big tournaments,” he said. “I would like to win a big title this year.”