The Australian Open is quickly approaching, as the summer of tennis heats up
As it stands, 18 Australian players will be in action at Melbourne Park following the confirmation of entry lists and tournament wildcards.
This number could change though, pending any injury withdrawals and additions from qualifying.
MORE: Who are the highest-ranked Australian tennis players? / Aussie results at Australian Open 2024
Men's singles
Alex de Minaur
De Minaur enters the tournament as Australia's overall top-ranked player.
The world No. 12 and reigning Newcombe Medal winner is undoubtedly the best homegrown chance at the event.
However, the 24-year-old has never progressed past the fourth round at Melbourne Park. Can he take the next step this time around?
Alexei Popyrin
Popyrin secured a memorable result at last year's Australian Open when he defeated No. 8 seed Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller.
While his journey ended in the third round, his performance caught the eye of many.
He has also flown up the rankings throughout 2023, achieving a career-best rank of world No. 39 in October.
Max Purcell
A doubles specialist in the early stages of his career, Purcell has since dedicated more time to his singles game, which has well and truly paid off.
He began 2023 outside the top 200 before rocketing up to a career-best rank of world No. 40 in October.
Purcell has never progressed past the first round at the Australian Open as a singles player, but he is primed to change that this tournament.
Jordan Thompson
Thompson, 29, is a veteran of the tennis circuit.
Despite this, he has failed to make a significant run at the Australian Open and is yet to progress past the second round.
In his eleventh attempt, can he change that?
Aleksandar Vukic
After working his way up the ranks, Vukic is now a regular entrant in the main draw at Melbourne Park.
2024 will mark his fourth consecutive appearance.
The world No. 62 is renowned for his toughness on-court, pushing Brandon Holt to five sets in a memorable first-round clash last year.
Thanasi Kokkinakis
A popular figure on the Australian tennis scene, Kokkinakis will feature in the main draw for the eighth time.
He famously won the men's doubles alongside Nick Kyrgios in 2022, however, the singles game hasn't been as kind to him.
The 27-year-old has never progressed past the second round at Melbourne Park.
Kokkinakis enters this tournament injury-free and has every chance of taking the next leap.
Christopher O'Connell
O'Connell was a quiet achiever in 2023 and enters this year's tournament in strong form.
The 29-year-old achieved a career-high ranking of No. 53 in September after winning a Challenger event in Shanghai.
He also notably played every single grand slam tournament last season – no small feat.
Rinky Hijikata
It was a tournament to remember for Hijikata in 2023, winning the men's doubles with fellow Australian Jason Kubler.
After debuting in the singles draw at that same tournament, his solo game has also taken a considerable step up.
The world No. 71 enjoyed a run to the fourth round at the most recent US Open and will look to bring that form to Melbourne.
James Duckworth (WC)
At 31 years of age, Duckworth is the most experienced player out of the Aussie wildcards.
He has already played in the singles main draw 10 times before at Melbourne Park but has never made it past the second round.
His last title came at a Challenger event in Playford in October.
Marc Polmans (WC)
Polmans has yet to crack the top 100 in the ATP rankings but has remained ever-present on the Australian men's tennis scene.
The South-African born player has featured at Melbourne Park three times in his career so far.
His best result at the Australian Open came in 2020 – a second-round exit.
Adam Walton (WC)
Walton has flown up the rankings in 2023 and has been rewarded for his efforts with a wildcard.
He began the year outside the top 400 and currently sits within the top 200.
The 24-year-old will now debut at the Australian Open, and deservedly so.
Jason Kubler (WC)
Kubler partnered Hijikata last year when the Aussie duo took home the men's doubles singles title.
He achieved a career-high singles rank of 63 last year but a knee injury – a problem which has plagued him throughout his career – saw him fall out of the top 100 just months later.
Fortunately, he has received a wildcard for the 2024 Australian Open and will be out to prove himself in Melbourne.
James McCabe (WC)
Filipino-born McCabe has been progressing nicely up the ranks, jumping more than 100 positions to world No. 272 by the end of last year.
The 20-year-old is beginning to make a name for himself on the pro tour and recently made his ATP debut at the Adelaide International.
Playing best-of-five sets should be no challenge for him stamina-wise, notably breaking the national Australian under-10 beep test record in 2013.
Omar Jasika (Q)
World No. 341 Jasika has battled through three rounds of qualifying (all of which were three-set matches) to reach the main draw for the first time since 2017.
He notably won the 2014 US Open boys' singles championship but the brakes were slammed on his career following a 2017 drugs ban.
Dane Sweeny (Q)
Sweeny will feature in the Australian Open main draw for the first time in his career.
The 22-year-old's guaranteed first round prize money – AU$120,000 – is more than a quarter of his career earnings to date.
Women's singles
Ajla Tomljanović
Tomljanović enters this tournament as the only Australian on the women's singles entry list.
She is using her protected ranking of 33 as she continues her return from injury.
The 30-year-old missed months of action after dropping out of the Australian Open in January last year to undergo knee surgery before later withdrawing US Open in August with an arm issue.
Daria Saville (WC)
After a significant spell off the court through injury, Saville is back playing tennis.
The likeable Aussie has secured a wildcard for what will be her ninth Australian Open.
She made the fourth round in 2016 and 2017 but has failed to reach those heights in the tournament since.
Kimberly Birrell (WC)
Birrell defeated No. 31 seed Kaia Kanepi in the opening round last year at Melbourne Park in a memorable performance.
The 25-year-old cracked the top 100 in the WTA rankings later that season.
Does she have another upset up her sleeves in 2024?
Olivia Gadecki (WC)
After a consistent 2023 campaign, Gadecki is currently the world No. 127 in singles — a career-high.
The 21-year-old will make her second appearance in the Australian Open main draw in 2024.
She notably upset seeded player Polina Kudermetova in the first round last year.
Taylah Preston (WC)
Preston will debut in the Australian Open this main draw after a rapid rise.
The 18-year-old was recently co-awarded the Female Junior Athlete of the Year honour at the Australian Tennis Awards.
In the space of a year, she has flown up the rankings from world No. 594 to No. 202.
Storm Hunter (Q)
Hunter is a doubles specialist and the current world No. 1, but had to fight through three rounds of qualifying to reach the singles main draw at Melbourne Park.
The 29-year-old has featured in the Australian Open in singles six times before, although she has never progressed past the first round.
