Australian Open 2025 News: Six must-see matches on Day 2

Day 2 of the 2025 Australian Open will see the field cut further in half. While things went basically as expected on Day 1, there is a chance for some real upsets on the second day. There are also some great storylines to watch.

Not mentioned below is that Carlos Alcaraz will begin his run in Melbourne. The Spaniard has won every other major except the Australian Open. His best performance so far was reaching the quarterfinals last year. Perhaps the hard courts in Melbourne simply are not suited for his game.

The second seed on the women's side, Iga Swiatek, will also begin her tournament. The Pole is a master of clay and the French Open, but she has only made it past the fourth round in Melbourne once. Can she prove she can consistently win on hard courts as well?

Six matches to watch on Day 2 of the 2025 Australian Open

Sofia Kenin versus 3-seed Coco Gauff

Kenin has had an interesting career. She was ranked inside the top five at one point but has not been able to sustain a great run of success. Gauff began playing much better after firing coach Brad Gilbert late last summer. Gauff should win, but Kenin leads the all-time head-to-head 2-1.

Caroline Garcia versus Naomi Osaka

Few players are more intense than Garcia, and she has talent, but she has never reached a high level of success. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam winner, but took a bunch of time off and is still working her way back. Still, she has won the Australian Open twice and started the year with a good run at the ASB Classic before an injury forced her to retire up a set in the final of the ASB Classic.

Belinda Bencic versus 16-seed Jelena Ostapenko

Bencic is a quiet player. Ostapenko is the exact opposite. She complains loudly during matches and comes off as a bit of a tennis brat at times. Both players are capable of getting several victories at the Australian Open, though neither would be expected to win the event.

Nicolas Jarry versus 1-seed Jannik Sinner

Jarry has a huge serve, and that could give Sinner a difficult time on a hard court. The Italian, though, is going to want to prove his win in Melbourne last year was no fluke. He is also going to be extra motivated to prove doubters about his failed drug tests last March to be wrong. The issue certainly did not hold him back at the end of 2024, and he finished the year as easily the top-ranked player.

Alex Michelsen versus 11-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas

Michelsen began to make some inroads last season as he reached at least the quarterfinals at several events. The 20-year-old might not be ready to win Masters 1000s or majors, but he could give Tistsipas issues. The Greek struggled at the end of last year, and there is no guarantee he will be much better to begin 2025.

Nishesh Basavareddy versus 7-seed Novak Djokovic

The story here is all about Djokovic, trying to win his 11th Australian Open and break his own record, being coached by Andy Murray. Basavareddy is a qualifier, and while defeating Djokovic would be miraculous for his part, that is unlikely to happen. The fun will be watching Murray coach the Serb from Djokovic's player's box.

More tennis news and analysis: