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Australian Open qualifying wildcards 2025: Confirmed additions to AO Opening Week | Sporting News India

Australian Open qualifying wildcards 2025: Confirmed additions to AO Opening Week | Sporting News India

Two-time major winner Simona Halep and Lleyton Hewitt’s son Cruz are among 18 players awarded wildcards into Australian Open qualifying.

Halep – French Open 2018 and Wimbledon 2019 champion – has been given the opportunity with her ranking currently sitting at 877 after serving a doping ban.

Sixteen-year-old Hewitt will aim to emulate father Lleyton, who qualified for the Australian Open as a 15-year-old in 1997.

Seven other Australian men received qualifying wildcards including Marc Polmans and Dane Sweeney, while Australian Open 2024 boys champion – Japan’s Rei Sakamoto – has also been given a path to the main draw.

Alongside Halep, seven Australian women led by Astra Sharma and Jaimee Fourlis received qualifying wildcards, while Australian Open 2024 girls champion Renata Jamrichova also nabbed a chance.

MORE: Who are the highest-ranked Australian tennis players?

Australian Open 2025 qualifying wildcards

Men’s singles qualifying

Marc Polmans (AUS) Blake Ellis (AUS)
Matthew Dellavedova (AUS) Edward Winter (AUS)
Dane Sweeney (AUS) Cruz Hewitt (AUS)
Pavle Marinkov (AUS) Rei Sakamoto (JPN)
Hayden Jones (AUS)  

Women’s singles qualifying

Simona Halep (ROU) Astra Sharma (AUS)
Tina Smith (AUS) Petra Hule (AUS)
Lizette Cabrera (AUS) Jaimee Fourlis (AUS)
Melisa Ercan (AUS) Elena Micic (AUS)
Renata Jamrichova (SVK)  

Australian open 2025 main draw wildcards

Men’s singles main draw

Kasidit Samrej (THA) Tristan Schoolkate (AUS)
Li Tu (AUS) James McCabe (AUS)
Stan Wawrinka (SUI) TBC
TBC TBC

Women’s singles main draw

Zhang Shuai (CHN) Daria Saville (AUS)
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) Emerson Jones (AUS)
Talia Gibson (AUS) Maya Joint (AUS)
TBC TBC

When is Australian Open 2025? Dates, schedule

The upcoming Australian Open will begin on Sunday, January 12 and run through to Sunday, January 26.

When does Australian Open qualifying start? Dates, schedule for 2025

Qualifying for the year’s first grand slam tournament will begin on Monday, January 6 and run through to Saturday, January 11. 

Players will be required to progress through three rounds of qualification to earn entry into the main draw.

Qualifying Round 1 Jan. 6-7
Qualifying Round 2 Jan. 8-9
Qualifying Round 3 Jan. 10-11

During the same week, Melbourne Park will host ‘Opening Week’, which features exhibition matches and open practice sessions.