Following that clash, world No.1 Alcaraz will strive to keep his dream of a maiden AO title alive when he faces Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
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The Spaniard was broken twice by Hanfmann at the 2023 China Open, but ultimately prevailed in straight sets.
Since then, the 22-year-old has added four more majors to his collection and has been vocal about his desire to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam this fortnight.
The man from Murcia, who got the better of rival Jannik Sinner in two of three major finals last year, believes that the title and an accompanying kangaroo tattoo are in his near future.
“I[‘m] just feeling this year probably it is one of those years that I will be able to, or I will have the chance to go further [than the quarterfinals],” he said after his opening-round win over Adam Walton on Sunday.
In the night session, men’s sixth seed De Minaur squares off against Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic for the first time.
Known for his retrieval skills and defensive abilities, the athletic Australian has been increasingly focused on improving his court positioning to be able to dictate points, and will look to up his aggression against the world No.90.
Medjedovic, 22, has a secret weapon in the form of 10-time AO champion Novak Djokovic. Having trained with and received financial support from his countryman and mentor, the 2023 ATP Next Gen Finals champion will do his best to cause a surprise as he searches to replicate a fraction of the 24-time major champion’s success at Rod Laver Arena.
