Australian Open begins Jan. 12 in Melbourne, and the draws for the men’s and women’s singles are intriguing — and have thrown up some blockbuster first-round matches. The Athletic’s tennis writers, Matthew Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare,

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. Credit: AP/Manu Fernandez

Andy Murray is willing to take any rants on court from Novak Djokovic when they begin their bid to win the Australian Open. The unlikely partnership between the former rivals has sparked a fascinating subplot in the Serbian’s quest for a 25th Grand Slam men’s singles title, with the Scot succeeding Goran Ivanisevic as coach.