Men’s Singles Main Draw | Women’s Singles Main Draw
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – With a new year upon us, the excitement and drama of Grand Slam tennis is back as players look to begin their season on a strong note at the 2024 Australian Open.
This is exactly the case for numerous players who have college ties as 27 players who spent time in college will be competing in the men’s and women’s singles main draw, including four of which that qualified for the main draw over the past week.
Marking the most collegiate representation in recent years, the 27 players with college ties in 2024 is up from 21 players in 2022 and 22 players in 2023. This shows the continued growth of players from the college level as the pathway from junior tennis to professional tennis continues to emphasize the value of adding time in college between the two.
Over the past several years, the Australian Open has been one of the most beloved Grand Slam events for former collegians as Jennifer Brady (UCLA) and Danielle Collins (Florida/Virginia) were both singles finalists in 2021 and 2022, while players such as Ben Shelton (Florida) made his name know around the world by reaching the Quarterfinals in 2023 for what was his first time competing outside the United States.
This year, four players enter the Australian Open as seeded players such as Ben Shelton (16), Cameron Norrie (19)(TCU), Francisco Cerundolo (22)(South Carolina), and Emma Navarro (27)(Virginia) are all positioned to make a splash at the first of the four biggest tournaments on the professional tours.
Four players will be making their Grand Slam main draw debut at the Australian Open as Adam Walton (Tennessee), Yuliia Starodubtseva (Old Dominion), McCartney Kessler (Florida), and Lulu Sun (Texas) have all achieved a major milestone in their professional careers this year in Australia.
Play from Melbourne will begin Saturday, January 13th, and will continue until January 28th when a Grand Slam champion will be crowned. For a complete list of players with college ties competing in the Australian Open singles draws continue reading below.
Men’s Singles Draw
| Player | School | ATP Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Shelton (16) | Florida | 16 |
| Cameron Norrie (19) | TCU | 19 |
| Francisco Cerundolo (22) | South Carolina | 22 |
| Christopher Eubanks | Georgia Tech | 34 |
| Mackenzie McDonald | UCLA | 42 |
| Yannick Hanfmann | USC | 49 |
| JJ Wolf | Ohio State | 54 |
| Marcos Giron | UCLA | 60 |
| Dominik Koepfer | Tulane | 61 |
| Aleksandar Vukic | Illinois | 63 |
| Nuno Borges | Mississippi State | 66 |
| Rinky Hijikata | North Carolina | 70 |
| Borna Gojo | Wake Forest | 91 |
| Arthur Rinderknech | Texas A&M | 97 |
| Aleksandar Kovacevic (Q) | Illinois | 110 |
| Adam Walton (WC) | Tennessee | 176 |
| Patrick Kypson (WC) | Texas A&M | 186 |
Women’s Singles Draw
| Player | Schools | WTA Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Emma Navarro (27) | Virginia | 31 |
| Peyton Stearns | Texas | 48 |
| Danielle Collins | Florida, Virgina | 54 |
| Mayar Sherif | Fresno State, Pepperdine | 58 |
| Emina Bektas | Michigan | 88 |
| Diana Shnaider | NC State | 95 |
| Leolia Jeanjean (Q) | Lynn, Baylor, Arkansas | 154 |
| Yuliia Starodubtseva (Q) | Old Dominion | 156 |
| McCartney Kessler (WC) | Florida | 207 |
| Lulu Sun (Q) | Texas | 217 |
