FOURLIS, MILLMAN SCORE AO MAIN DRAW WILDCARDS

Two more wildcards into the Australian Open main draw have been announced, with Jaimee Fourlis and John Millman receiving prized entry into their home grand slam.

Jaimee Fourlis has snapped up the seventh of eight wildcards into the Women’s main draw, with one more still to be handed out, which will be given to a player from the Asia-Pacific region.

With eight wildcards on offer, five are awarded to players of Tennis Australia’s choice (usually Australian’s), one goes to an American as part of a reciprocal agreement between Tennis Australia and the USTA, which sees an Australian receive a wildcard into the US Open. The same deal goes with the French, and the final wildcard goes to a player from the Asia-Pacific region.

Fourlis joins fellow Australians Storm Hunter, Talia Gibson and Olivia Gadecki on the list of wildcard recipients, as well as Taylor Townsend - who received the USA reciprocal wildcard, Diane Parry - who received the French reciprocal wildcard, and Venus Williams - who was given a wildcard at Tennis Australia’s discretion. One more wildcard which has not yet been announced will go to a player from the Asia-Pacific region.

23-year-old Fourlis edged out fellow Australians Priscilla Hon, Maddison Inglis and Kimberly Birrell - who were all in the mix to receive the final wildcard on the women’s side.

Tennis Australia were left with a difficult decision to make handing out this final wildcard, with all four women in contention having slightly underwhelming weeks to kick off the 2023 season.

Fourlis and Hon both received wildcards into the Adelaide International main draw this week but both lost in the first round, whilst Birrell had an impressive win in the first round of qualifying against a top-60 ranked opponent, but did not make the main draw. In Sydney, Inglis lost both of her matches at the United Cup.

List of Women’s Wildcards:

• Olivia Gadecki (AUS)

• Storm Hunter (AUS)

• Jaimee Fourlis (AUS)

• Talia Gibson (USA)

• Venus Williams (USA)

• Taylor Townsend (USA)

• Diane Parry (FRA)

• Asia-Pacific Wildcard Allocation TBA

On the men’s side, John Millman joins Aussies Rinky Hijikata, Alexei Popyrin, Jason Kubler, as well as 2020 finalist Dominic Thiem, USA reciprocal wildcard recipient Christopher Eubanks, and French reciprocal wildcard Luca Van Assche - all in the main draw. One more wildcard which has not yet been announced will go to a player from the Asia-Pacific region.

It will be largely speculated that this wildcard is a sendoff gift for Millman, with his retirement imminent and this likely being his final Australian Open.

World No. 130 Aleksandar Vukic is majorly stiff to miss out on a wildcard, being the third-highest ranked Australian outside of the top 100 and having an impressive end to the season despite missing a chunk of the year with injury. James Duckworth will also feel hard done by after injury derailed a large portion of his season and saw him end the year at 155 in the ranks. Li Tu and Max Purcell are others who would’ve been worthy recipients and missed out.

List of Men’s Wildcards:

• Jason Kubler (AUS)

• Alexei Popyrin (AUS)

• John Millman (AUS)

• Rinky Hijikata (AUS)

• Dominic Thiem (AUT)

• Christopher Eubanks (USA)

• Luca Van Assche (FRA)

• Asia-Pacific Wildcard Allocation TBA