Four Aussie women are set to embark on their Australian Open 2025 campaigns, with two making their main-draw debuts at their home Grand Slam.

On day two of the first-round match-ups, Ajla Tomljanović is first to headline at Margaret Court Arena, while rising star Maya Joint is the twilight session at the fan-favorite John Cain Arena.

Joint, aware of the court’s special connection for Australian tennis fans, is looking forward to the atmosphere.  “Hopefully it will be full of Aussie fans. I’m excited to play on it,” she smiled.

Meanwhile, Talia Gibson and Destanee Aiava will both take to Court 3, with Gibson opening the day’s schedule and Aiava later on.

[WC] Maya Joint (AUS) v [7] Jessica Pegula (USA)
Head to Head: First Meeting

Rising Aussie star Maya Joint turned heads with an impressive run at last week’s Hobart International, dropping just 11 games across her first three matches. Along the way, she defeated world No. 53 Olga Danilovic, world No. 38 Magda Linette, and former world No. 4 (plus AO 2020 champion) Sofia Kenin, before falling to No. 2 seed Elise Mertens in the semifinals.

The 18-year-old enters the Australian Open in top form but faces a tough challenge in her tournament debut  against No. 7 seed Jessica Pegula, a player with a similar style to her own.

Pegula arrived in Melbourne fresh off a strong performance in Adelaide, where she reached the final, losing to Madison Keys in a three-set battle. A three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, Pegula is no stranger to success at this tournament.

Joint is optimistic ahead of the daunting match-up..  “I like being the underdog in matches. Just go out, have no pressure, see what I can do. I’m excited to be able to play against someone of her ranking and strength and accomplishments,” she said.

[WC] Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v Ashlyn Krueger (USA)
Head to Head: First Meeting 

While Ajla Tomljanovic has faced a challenging lead-up to the Australian Open after her recurring knee injury flared up again at the Billie Jean King Cup in November, she is ready to kick off her Australian Open campaign.

Tomljanovic had earlier made an encouraging recovery from her injury-marred 2023 season, highlighted by her title win at the Hong Kong 125 tournament.

The former world No. 35 faces a tough first-round opponent in 20-year-old American Ashlyn Krueger. Ranked world No. 54. Krueger made headlines with a breakthrough performance at the 2024 US Open, where she defeatedcurrent world No. 14, Mirra Andreeva.

[Q] Destanee Aiava (AUS) v Greet Minnen (BEL)
Head to Head: Minnen leads 1-0 

Destanee Aiava enters the Australian Open main draw in impressive form, building on her title-winning runs at recent ITF events in Cairns and Brisbane. She carried that momentum into AO 2025 qualifying, where she defeated the 10th and 23rd seeds to secure her spot in the main draw.

Aiava will face Greet Minnen for the second time in her career. Their previous encounter was a tightly contested three-set battle during the second round of qualifying at Toronto in 2024, where Minnen edged out the victory. This rematch promises to be another compelling clash.

Returning to the Australian Open main draw, for the first time in 2021, is a milestone moment for Aiava.

“It feels amazing. It’s been a couple of years since I was playing AO main. To qualify as well feels even better. Yeah, I think I earned my way into the main draw,” she said.

[WC] Talia Gibson (AUS) v Zeynep Sonmez (TUR)
Head to Head: First Meeting 

Talia Gibson, ranked No. 150, is set to make her Australian Open main-draw debut, arriving in peak form. The 20-year-old Aussie closed out the 2024 season on a high note, capturing back-to-back ITF titles in Perth during September and adding another title in Cairns in early October. Her consistent performances propelled her to a career-high ranking of No. 125 in November, cementing her status as one to watch.

Gibson faces a challenge in the opening round against No. 93-ranked Zeynep Sonmez, who is also riding a wave of momentum. Sonmez hit her stride late last year, reaching her career-high ranking in December 2024. With both players in top form, this matchup promises to be a closely contested battle.