With the qualifying rounds of the 2025 Australian Open singles draw wrapping up on January 8th, players have begun gearing up for the start of the main draw in the first Grand Slam of the new year. Action is set to kick off on Sunday, January 12th at 11:30 a.m. (Australian Eastern Daylight Time), prompting for a Saturday night kick-off for those watching in the states.

Team SoCal is strongly represented in Melbourne with eight total players set to battle it out in singles over the coming days, headlined by Taylor Fritz, the nation’s No. 1 player and the tournament’s No. 4 seed.

The most recent championship by a Southern California-based player at the Australian Open was secured in 2017, when Serena Williams claimed her seventh career title by defeating her sister Venus in the final, 6-4, 6-4. This win solidified Serena’s place as the woman with the most Australian Open titles in the Open Era, a record she still holds today.

On the men’s side, the latest victory by a Southern California player dates back to 1997, when Pete Sampras took home his second Australian Open championship by defeating Carlos Moyá in the final, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

In the 113th installment of the Grand Slam, each singles champion will add a career-defining win to their resume, in addition to the hearty sum of $3.5 million as well as 2,000 PIF ranking points. 

WOMEN’S SINGLES 

Iva Jovic (Torrance) – The youngest player from Southern California to reach the main draw, Jovic is set to compete in only her second women’s singles Grand Slam, having made her debut at the 2024 US Open. There, she made history as the youngest American to win a main draw match at the tournament since 2000. Just a year ago in Melbourne, the now 17-year-old enjoyed a standout performance, capturing the junior girls’ doubles title alongside Tyra Caterina Grant without dropping a set throughout the event.

Currently ranked a career-high No. 191 in singles, Jovic is aiming to continue her ascent up the rankings. However, she faces a tough challenge in her first-round match against Nuria Parrizas Diaz (No. 104). Jovic enters Sunday as a wild card.

MEN’S SINGLES

Tristan Boyer (Altadena) – On the heels of multiple thrilling wins in the qualifying rounds just days ago, Tristan Boyer (No. 134) is preparing for his first ever main draw appearance in a Grand Slam. Punching his ticket into the event, Boyer rattled off consecutive victories over Rei Sakamoto (No. 365), Tomas Barrios Vera (No. 153), and American standout and 2024 Olympian Christopher Eubanks (No. 103) in the qualifiers. 

The 23-year-old aims to keep his momentum headed into Sunday’s contest, where he is scheduled to take on Federico Coria (No. 97). An exciting second-round matchup lies ahead if Boyer were to advance, as he would face the victor of the first-round match between Botic van de Zandschulp (No. 82) and Alex de Minaur (No. 8).

Taylor Fritz (Rancho Santa Fe) – The current best player in all of the United States and No. 4 in the world, Taylor Fritz enters his eighth Australian Open main draw during the pinnacle of his young career. After nearly capturing his first Grand Slam title, having reached the finals of the US Open in September, Fritz is poised for another strong push toward a championship. Looking to make his deepest run yet in Melbourne, Fritz will aim to surpass performances in years past, where he has yet to advance past the fourth round. 

Success in Australia is no stranger to Fritz, who most recently helped lead the United States to their second United Cup title in just three years. 

The 27-year-old will open his campaign against fellow Californian Jenson Brooksby (No. 466) this Sunday.

Marcos Giron (Thousand Oaks, UCLA) – Coming off his best year to date, which includes a career-high singles ranking of No. 38 and his first-ever ATP title at the 2024 Hall of Fame Open against fellow SoCal native Alex Michelsen, Marcos Giron (No. 45) looks to make a statement at this year’s Australian Open. A 2014 NCAA singles champion at UCLA, Giron has built an impressive career on the pro tour, including multiple victories over top-10 players and appearances in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.

Making the main draw for a sixth consecutive year, the 31-year-old is seeking his first victory in the event. Sunday, Giron will square off against fellow Southern Californian college alum, Yannick Hanfmann. 

Yannick Hanfmann (USC) – Aiming to build on his Grand Slam experience, Yannick Hanfmann (No. 98) is eager to start the year strong at the Australian Open, where he has earned a spot in the main draw for a fifth consecutive year. Having secured his first win at the tournament in 2022, Hanfmann is determined to claim his second victory while continuing his pursuit of a deep singles run.

Though still seeking his first major singles breakthrough, Hanfmann reached his first Grand Slam semifinal in doubles just last year at the Australian Open.

In his first round match, the 33-year-old will face Marcos Giron in a singles contest that marks the first-ever meeting between the Trojan alum and the former Bruin, two players whose paths have never crossed in college or on the pro circuit.

Alex Michelsen (Aliso Viejo) – After turning pro just two years ago, Alex Michelsen has quickly made a name for himself on tour. Now, he aims to surpass his impressive performance at last year’s Australian Open, where he reached the third round with two victories.

Recently cracking the top-50, Michelsen (No. 41) enters just his sixth Grand Slam main draw. The 2022 runner-up in Junior Boys’ Doubles at the Australian Open is set for one of his toughest tests yet, as he faces No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round this Sunday.

Brandon Nakashima (San Diego) – Ascending through the ranks as of late, Brandon Nakashima (No. 37) is looking to break through and secure his first career victory at the Australian Open.

Fresh off a stellar 2024 campaign, Nakashima enters the tournament with his best-ever Grand Slam result, having reached the fourth round at the US Open this past September. During that run, he earned impressive victories over top-ranked players, including Holger Rune (No. 13) and Lorenzo Musetti (No. 16).

This will be the 23-year-old’s third main draw appearance in Melbourne, and his first since 2023. In his opening match, he will face fellow American Ben Shelton (No. 21).

Learner Tien (Irvine, USC) – After a standout year that included his first Challenger title and a 28-match winning streak, Learner Tien (No. 120) enters the Australian Open in top form, playing some of the best tennis of his young career.

A Boys’ Junior Doubles Grand Slam champion and Boys’ Junior Singles finalist at the 2023 Australian Open, Tien is no stranger to the courts down under.

At just 19 years old, he will make his Australian Open main draw debut this weekend, facing Camilo Ugo Carabelli (No. 95) in the first round.

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Men’s and women’s doubles, along with mixed doubles, are set to begin in the days following the start of singles play. The draws for both gender-based doubles fields will be announced on Saturday, January 11th, with the first matches scheduled for Tuesday, January 14th. Mixed Doubles action will follow shortly thereafter, beginning Thursday, January 16th. In addition, all junior events will kick off on Saturday, January 18th, with wheelchair events to begin on Tuesday, January 21st.