Australian Open draw: Swiatek vs. former champ Kenin; Osaka, Kerber return

The stage is set for the year's first Grand Slam event after the 2024 Australian Open main draw was made on Thursday in Melbourne.

The tournament will start off with some incredible first-round matches, including a rematch of the 2020 Roland Garros final between World No.1 Iga Swiatek

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Former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka

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View the full draw at the Australian Open website HERE!

Here is a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of some of the key players and storylines:

First quarter

No.1 seed Swiatek sits at the top of the table, but the draw still gave her one of the most difficult first-round opponents. Kenin is ranked just outside the seedings at World No.38, and she has proven she can win in Melbourne by taking the title Down Under in 2020.

Kenin also reached the Roland Garros final later that year, but then-unseeded phenom Swiatek beat her for the title. That match is the only previous meeting between the two major champions.

Things will get no easier for the winner of that match: Swiatek or Kenin is guaranteed to face either 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber or 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins

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Former World No.1 Kerber returned to tour at United Cup last week as part of the victorious German team, and she will play her first Grand Slam event since 2022 Wimbledon. Kerber and Collins have split their two meetings -- but Collins' win over Kerber was a 6-0, 6-2 victory at the 2019 Australian Open.

No.19 seed Elina Svitolina

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At the other side of the first quarter is No.7 seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova

View Profile . The Czech, who withdrew from this week's Adelaide event due to a hip injury, is slated to play a qualifier in the first round.

In Vondrousova's section sits two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka

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View Profile . No.18 Azarenka and No.11 Ostapenko would meet in the third round if seedings hold.

Second quarter

Another blockbuster first-round match kicks off the second quarter: No.3 seed Elena Rybakina

View Profile , last year's Australian Open runner-up, will face former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova

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Pliskova, who is the highest-ranked unseeded player at World No.37, was an Australian Open quarterfinalist last year. However, Rybakina has won all three of their previous meetings.

At the other end of this quarter is No.5 seed Jessica Pegula

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If seedings are maintained, Pegula would meet rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, the No.12 seed, in the Round of 16. Lurking in Zheng's section is 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu

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Third quarter

Moving into the bottom half of the draw, No.4 Coco Gauff

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Reigning US Open champion Gauff successfully defended her Auckland title last week and is 29-4 on hard courts since last July. Gauff could meet No.32 seed Leylah Fernandez

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In Gauff's section is another exciting first-round match between No.16 seed Caroline Garcia

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Osaka is also making her Grand Slam return from maternity leave, playing her first major since 2022. Osaka and Garcia's lone previous meeting came at the 2021 Australian Open, and Osaka won that match in straight sets.

No.8 seed Maria Sakkari

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But yet another former Australian Open champion is in Haddad Maia's portion of the draw: Caroline Wozniacki

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Fourth quarter

No.2 seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka

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No.6 Ons Jabeur

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