In a challenging start to her quest for an Australian Open championship, top-ranked Iga Swiatek will take on 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in the opening round and either 2016 winner Angelique Kerber or Danielle Collins in the second.

The reigning champion Novak Djokovic may play No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up from the previous year, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in an attempt to win a record-tying 11th title.

The singles bracket draws took place on Thursday. The high-pressure opening rounds were caused by the return of past winners Naomi Osaka, Kerber, and Caroline Wozniacki to Melbourne Park following their maternity leaves.

Osaka, who has won both the Australian and U.S. Opens twice, starts against No. 16 Caroline Garcia and is paired with U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff in the same quarter of the draw.

Opening up for Kerber is Collins, the three-time major champion who advanced to the final in 2022 by defeating Swiatek in this venue’s semifinals. It was the greatest run Swiatek has had at the Australian Open thus far.

In the opening round, Wozniacki, the 2018 winner, will take on 2023 semifinalist and 20th-seeded Magda Linette. Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning champion, will face a qualifier.

Potential quarterfinal pairings for the women’s division would be: No. 1 Swiatek against No. 7 Marketa Vondrousova; No. 3 Elena Rybakina against No. 5 Jessica Pegula; No. 2 Sabalenka against No. 6 Ons Jabeur; and No. 4 Gauff against No. 8 Maria Sakkari in the lower half.

Other quarterfinal matches might include No. 4 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 5 Andrey Rublev in the top half, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 6 Alexander Zverev, and No. 3 Daniil Medvedev vs. No. 8 Holger Rune in the bottom half. This matchup could also feature the possible rematch of Djokovic and Tsitsipas in the 2023 final.