The Australian Open 2025 is being held at Melbourne Park from January 12 to January 26. This is the 113th edition of the great tournament, the first Grand Slam of the year. The tournament features singles, doubles, mixed doubles, junior and wheelchair competitions.
India’s participation
India’s best singles player Sumit Nagal has earned a direct entry into the main draw of the Australian Open 2025. This will be the fifth Grand Slam for Nagal, who is ranked 98 in the ATP world rankings. Last year, he entered the main draw from the qualifying round and defeated 31st seed Alexander Bublik in the first round, becoming the first Indian to beat a seeded player at a Grand Slam in 35 years.
Key players and opponents
The quarter-final matches of the tournament will see a lot of interesting matches. The match between 10-time champion Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz is highly anticipated. Also, Coco Gauff will take on Paula Badosa, Alexander Zverev will take on Tommy Paul, and Aryna Sabalenka will fight Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Sabalenka is trying to win her third consecutive Australian Open title.
Innovation and Reward
This is the first time in a Grand Slam that the Australian Open has introduced “coaching pods” on big grounds. These pods are in two corners of the court, where teams and coaches can sit and receive data in real time. The total prize money of the tournament has increased by 11.6%, now standing at A $96,500,000. Singles players in the first round of the main draw will receive 10% more money, namely $132,000.
Court-side coaching
With the introduction of coaching pods, coaches can now sit near the court and guide their players. “We believe this will give coaches more profile and there will be some interesting events to watch,” said Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.
Conclusion
The Australian Open 2025 will see many interesting matches. Indian fans are excited by Sumit Nagal’s direct entry, and look forward to even more exciting moments in the further matches of the tournament.