Huge rating change behind Novak Djokovic makes Australians completely happy

The Australian Open draw is true round the nook! The opening week of the season noticed one notable change on the ATP rating checklist, and it occurred behind Novak Djokovic. The ten-time Australian Open winner will begin the match ranked seventh.

As a substitute of Andrey Rublev, the house favourite Alex de Minaur would be the eighth seed in Melbourne. Main the quarter-final part ought to make his path simpler. Initially of the season, solely 15 ATP factors separated Rublev and de Minaur.

They each dropped factors from final 12 months, however the Aussie did sufficient to go his opponent forward of the Australian Open draw. Thus, de Minaur prevented the rivals from the highest forward of the quarter-final stage, which all the time helps.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry & Alex de Minaur, United Cup 2025© Stream screenshot

Alex will even face one of many lowest seeds within the fourth spherical as an alternative of battling in opposition to these positioned within the third seeding part. Nevertheless, that doesn’t essentially imply a extra favorable draw. We should look ahead to the draw to see who has a higher path towards the closing rounds.

One factor is evident. De Minaur will keep away from Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alacaraz and Novak Djokovic forward of the quarter-final. Alex reached the Australian Open fourth spherical for 3 straight years. Nevertheless, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev have been too sturdy.

Rublev and de Minaur embraced a cracker in Melbourne a 12 months in the past. The house favourite prevailed in units two and three, constructing the benefit however fading from the courtroom within the closing levels. Andrey dropped three video games in units 4 and 5 and prevailed after over 4 hours.

They might meet within the fourth spherical once more in a few weeks. The Russian began the season in Hong Kong, defending final 12 months’s title. Nevertheless, Andrey skilled a setback in opposition to Fabian Marozsan, struggling a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 defeat and shedding essential ATP factors.

However, de Minaur didn’t repeat final 12 months’s United Cup consequence, with Australia failing to succeed in the quarter-final. Nevertheless, he beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Billy Harris, accumulating sufficient ATP factors to go Rublev and turn out to be world no. 8.