MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal returns to the scene of one of his greatest Grand Slam triumphs when the Australian Open begins Monday, with women’s number one Iga Swiatek headlining the night session on the showpiece Rod Laver Arena.
A year ago, the 36-year-old Spaniard defied a long injury layoff and a two-set deficit in the final against Daniil Medvedev to win his second Melbourne Park title and a record 21st Grand Slam.
The top seed, who extended that record to 22 titles at Roland Garros, faces a testing first-round clash against emerging 21-year-old Briton Jack Draper, who reached the Adelaide semifinals last week.
“Probably one of the toughest first rounds possible... young, powerful, growing very, very fast in the rankings, playing well,” said Nadal of Draper, the world number 40.
Swiatek said she was ready for an “intense” opening match against Germany’s Jule Neimeier, the world number 69 who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year.
The pair’s only previous meeting came in the last 16 of the 2022 US Open, where Swiatek dropped the first set before coming through 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 and going on to win her third Grand Slam title.
Earlier, American seventh seed Coco Gauff will have the honor of playing the opening match on Rod Laver Arena against the Czech Republic’s world number 46 Katerina Siniakova.
Seventh-ranked Gauff heads into the first Grand Slam of the year on a high after winning her third WTA title at the Auckland Classic this month.
Gauff holds a 3-1 career win-loss record against Siniakova, with the lone defeat coming in a group match at last year’s Billie Jean King Cup.
They will be followed onto the center court by Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari, who faces Yuan Yue of China, the world number 117, before the Nadal v Draper clash.
Daniil Medvedev has been the Australian Open runner-up for the past two years, losing first to Djokovic in 2021 and then Nadal 12 months ago.
Seeded seven, the Russian will round off the first night session on Rod Laver Arena against 60th-ranked American Marcus Giron.
Third seed Jessica Pegula is fancied by many to make a Slam breakthrough this year and she will open proceedings on Margaret Court Arena against Romania’s world number 161 Jaqueline Cristian.
The 28-year-old starred for the victorious USA team at the United Cup in Sydney this month, where she won four of her five matches and beat Swiatek in the semifinal.
She has never made it past the last eight in a major and lost to the eventual champion Ashleigh Barty at that stage in Melbourne a year ago.
Later on the same court the only two previous women’s Australian Open champions in the draw will square off.
Victoria Azarenka, the Belarusian 2012 and 2013 winner, will play Sofia Kenin, whose lone Grand Slam title came in Australia in 2020.
Also in action on Monday are men’s third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who plays 64th-ranked Frenchman Quentin Halys, and last year’s women’s runner-up, the American 13th seed Danielle Collins who starts against Anna Kalinskaya of Russia.
Novak Djokovic, who was detained and deported ahead of last year’s tournament after refusing to get vaccinated for Covid-19, begins his campaign for a record-extending 10th Australian Open title on Tuesday.
Nadal begins Open defense, Swiatek targets maiden Melbourne title
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Nadal begins Open defense, Swiatek targets maiden Melbourne title
- Swiatek says she is ready for an “intense” opening match against Germany’s Jule Neimeier
Pakistan will boycott T20 World Cup match against India. ICC says decision will damage cricket
- No reason was given for Pakistan boycotting the game against India, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had criticized governing body ICC for “double standards” by refusing to shift Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government says the national cricket team will be allowed to take part in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup but must boycott its group game against arch rival India.
India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the 20-team tournament, which starts Saturday.
Pakistan will play all its games in Sri Lanka — including any in the knockout stage — because of political tensions with India. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a Group A game in Colombo on Feb. 15 in what is often a tournament highlight for fans, broadcasters and organizers alike.
That’s looking in doubt this time.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the government posted Sunday on its official X account. “However, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
No reason was given for Pakistan boycotting the game against India, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had criticized governing body ICC for “double standards” by refusing to shift Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka. Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland for the tournament.
Naqvi was vocal in Pakistan’s support for Bangladesh and left the decision of Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup to the government when he briefed Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on the issue.
ICC criticizes decision
The International Cricket Council said in a statement that it was waiting to receive an official communication from the PCB over the planned boycott, while warning against harming “the spirit and sanctity” of the global events.
“This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the ICC said.
“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan.”
The ICC said its priority is to successfully organize the T20 World Cup and “expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”
The ICC also said it “hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.”
Pakistan’s first match is against the Netherlands on Saturday in the tournament opener in Colombo. It will then take on the US on Feb. 10 and Namibia on Feb. 18.
India would be set to receive two points if Pakistan forfeits their game.
A Pakistan vs. India tournament game attracts huge interest and is a significant source of income, through broadcasters and sponsors, for the ICC.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral cricket series for the last 14 years, but both nations have regularly been in the same group at ICC tournaments.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who led the team to a 3-0 win in the three-match T20 series against Australia on Sunday in Lahore, said he will follow his government’s instructions.
“It’s (boycotting game against India) not our decision, we can’t do anything about it,” Agha said. “We will do whatever our government and the (PCB) chairman say.”
The strained political relations between the two countries spilled onto the cricket field last year when India’s players refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s players during three Asia Cup games, including the final, in the United Arab Emirates.
