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Swiatek and Alcaraz, two rested heavyweights, are going for their first titles in the Australian Open
World number one Iga Swiatek, aged 22, and two-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, aged 20, are set to resume their pursuit of a maiden Australian Open title on Tuesday after taking a break during the off-season to recharge.
Swiatek, considered among the top contenders for the women’s singles title, aims to surpass last year’s fourth-round exit. She started the season strongly, winning all five of her singles matches at the United Cup mixed team event. Swiatek attributes her impressive form to a “peaceful” off-season, allowing her to focus solely on practice and rest. Unlike the hectic off-court commitments of the previous year, she now recognizes the importance of maintaining 100% focus, acknowledging the value of a six-week break from match play.
In her first-round match, Swiatek will face American Sofia Kenin, her opponent in the 2020 French Open final, where Swiatek secured her first Grand Slam title with a 6-4, 6-1 victory.
Men’s world number two, Alcaraz, kicks off his campaign on Tuesday, and in contrast to Swiatek, the Spaniard is relatively less prepared, having chosen to skip all warm-up events this month.
Before his first-round match against veteran Richard Gasquet, Alcaraz mentioned the necessity of a holiday to recover from a demanding 2023 season, where he clinched six titles, including Wimbledon, Madrid, and Indian Wells.
“We concluded the season very late. I prefer to take a holiday, have some days to rejuvenate my body and mind,” Alcaraz explained.
He further stated, “We discussed with my team that we need almost four, five weeks of pre-season to prepare well for this season, especially for the first Grand Slam of the year. We had no time if I wanted to play a tournament before the Australian Open. In the end, we chose to come here straight to a Grand Slam.”
Meanwhile, the German sixth seed Alexander Zverev will face compatriot Dominik Koepfer, and in the night session on Rod Laver Arena, women’s third seed Elena Rybakina will take on former world number one Karolina Pliskova from the Czech Republic.
Rybakina’s evening match on the main showcourt stands in stark contrast to her first-round match at last year’s Australian Open, where, despite being the Wimbledon champion, she started her campaign on an outer court at Melbourne Park.
