Australian Open, 10 Italians in the entry list and Djokovic returns

There is still just under a month left before the start of what will be the official 2023 tennis season, but the engines are already warming up. And the publication of the Australian Open entry list is always a little thrill for fans, who are already looking forward to the Melbourne show. There are already 10 Italians in the draw for the first slam of the year, five in the men’s field and five in the women’s field. Leading the men’s group is Jannik Sinner (n.15), then Matteo Berrettini (16) and Lorenzo Musetti (23), all three seeded. Then Lorenzo Sonego (45) and Fabio Fognini (55). The first Italian not admitted to the main draw is Marco Cecchinato, No. 104 in the world, and sixth in the list of alternates, i.e. those who can take over in case of withdrawal from those preceding them.

Nole is back

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For the rest, all more or less confirmed among men, where the n.1 is Carlos Alcaraz, n.2 Rafael Nadal, reigning champion, and then there is the return of Novak Djokovic after the well-known events of last year ( was expelled for the Covid rules). The only one absent from the top 100 will be the Frenchman Gael Monfils, No. 52 in the world. The last admitted is the Portuguese Nuno Borges, n.99, because there are six players who still enjoy the Protected Ranking (due to absences from the circuit due to injuries) and have taken advantage of it, and they are Hugo Dellien (n.119), Stan Wawrinka (149, champion in Australia in 2014), Lloyd Harris (239), Kyle Edmund (583), Guido Pella (unranked) and Jeremy Chardy (unranked), now far behind but with top 100 positions when they were victims of injuries which forced them to stop.

Women

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In the women’s field, five Italians are already in the draw, namely Martina Trevisan (n.27), Lucia Bronzetti (58), Jasmine Paolini (63), Elisabetta Cocciaretto (66) and Camila Giorgi (68). Among the “alternates” Sara Errani, number 108 in the world, was left out, who will in any case be one of the first seeds in the “quali”. This is because there have been many entries with the protected Ranking, as many as 11, and some are also heavy names: Marketa Vondrousova (n.97), Jaqueline Cristian (151), Karolina Muchova (154), Laura Siegemund (175), Nadia Podoroska (194), Sofia Kenin (240), Kristina Kucova (270), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (372), Evgeniya Rodina (446), Patricia Maria Tig (795) and Saisai Zheng (unranked). This mass entry of “protected” athletes closed the list of entries by right on the draw at n.95, that of the Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure. For this Errani, and others like her, will most likely be forced to qualify. For the rest, no surprises, among the women there will be all the strongest, in the draw led by the top seed, Iga Swiatek, who is looking for her first success in Australia.