The first Grand Slam draw of the 2025 season is out, and as always, there are many exciting first-round matches to look forward to. There were a lot of good matches to choose from, and it was not easy to pick five. But here we are, and let’s look at the best men’s matches from the first round that promise to captivate tennis fans.

Five Best Men’s First-Round Matches of the Australian Open

Hubert Hurkacz vs Tallon Griekspoor

Head-to-Head: Hurkacz 2-2 Griekspoor

This could easily have been a second or third-round match, but Hurkacz’s drop in rankings since August last year has made this matchup possible in the first round. This match has tiebreaks written all over it, as Hurkacz is a world-class server. Though Griekspoor may not be as good as the Polish player, he is still a brilliant server and a very attacking player.  These two have played 14 sets against each other and half of those have gone the distance.

All of their previous encounters have gone to the deciding sets, and it won’t be surprising if that happens again. This match might not have many long rallies or momentum shifts but a great showcase of first-strike tennis. Australian Open is the most successful Slam for Griekspoor while Hurkacz’s record on hard-court Slams isn’t that good, making this almost an even contest.

Gael Monfils vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

Head-to-Head: First meeting

This is the best possible match to highlight the transition going on in French tennis. A generation battle between the past and future. The 21-year-old, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was ranked outside the top 200 during the 2024 Australian Open and lost in the final round of qualifying. This year, he is seeded with a ranking of 30. It just shows what a remarkable year he had in 2024 and is constantly rising up the rankings.

Gael Monfils will make his 19th appearance in the Australian Open main draw, most likely one of the last. Monfils, 38, has been a fantastic ambassador for French tennis over the years. He remains in excellent shape and is now in the semifinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland. This should be an excellent match for tennis enthusiasts, particularly French fans.

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Ben Shelton vs Brandon Nakashima

Head-to-Head: Shelton 2-0 Nakashima

There are so many same nationality first-round matches at the 2025 Australian Open but not many as exciting as this one.  Two of the most talented American players, Ben Shelton and Brandon Nakashima will go at each other for a place in the second round. Shelton already has a fantastic record at this Slam, with a win percentage of 75, and will be looking for another second-week appearance.

Brandon Nakashima when healthy can do a lot of damage and he showed that in 2024. Nakashima had some great wins over, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul (twice), Frances Tiafoe and Holger Rune. This shows how high his upside is and despite being winless at the Australian Open, he poses a great threat to Shelton and others if he advances.

Holger Rune vs Zhizhen Zhang

Head-to-Head: First meeting

Holger Rune will look to get back inside the top 10 as early as possible this year and a good showing at the season’s first Slam will almost ensure that. However, Zhizhen Zhang is one of the toughest opponents he could have got in the first round. These two have never played each other but have a similar game style, making this an interesting contest. Rune will need to stay composed under pressure, while Zhang will look to play fearless tennis and go for his shots. The winner could gain significant momentum for the rest of the tournament.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alex Michelsen

Head-to-Head: Tsitsipas 0-1 Michelsen

Former Australian Open finalist, Stefanos Tsitsipas will have high expectations of getting his career back on track. The last two years haven’t gone as planned for the Greek and he is starting a season outside the top 10 for the first time since 2019. Tsitsipas has a tremendous record at the Australian Open with a final and three semifinal appearances. He also receives a lot of support from the crowd in Melbourne and hopes to make another deep run this time, but he has to face an opponent who beat him four months ago.

Alex Michelsen is one of the few players who always plays at a high level and asks for the best from his opponents if they have to beat him. The American has been in great form since the autumn of last year. Tsitsipas will have to be ready from the get-go, or else, the 20-year-old Michelsen will run away with the match.

Notable Mentions

• Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jan-Lennard Struff
• Andrey Rublev vs Joao Fonseca
• Jannik Sinner vs Nicolas Jarry
• Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini
• Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy
• Matteo Berrettini vs Cameron Norrie

Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran – USA TODAY Sports