Dabrowski to Compete in Women’s Doubles
[MONTREAL, QC] January 9, 2025 – On Thursday, the main singles draws of the 2025 Australian Open were decided at the steps of the legendary Margaret Court Arena, and five Canadians are in the mix at the first Slam of the season. By virtue of their ranking, Leylah Annie Fernandez (Laval, QC), Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC), Félix Auger-Aliassime (Montréal, QC), Denis Shapovalov (Richmond Hill, ON), and Gabriel Diallo (Montréal, QC) each secured a spot and now know the identity of their first opponent. Gabriela Dabrowski, who was an AO semifinalist in 2024, will compete in the women’s doubles event whose draw will be decided on Saturday.
- Leylah Fernandez (World No. 31): Will take on Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine.
- The Quebecer ended last season on a high note, fighting her way into the semifinals of the WTA 250 in Hong Kong and the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 in Tokyo.
- Over the next few days, she could run into Coco Gauff in the third round and Jelena Ostapenko or Naomi Osaka in the fourth.
- This is Leylah’s sixth time in Melbourne; she fell in the second round in 2024 and 2023.
- Rebecca Marino (World No. 98): Will face Katie Boulter (22) of Great Britain in the opening match.
- Marino impressed late last season, closing out 2024 with the biggest title of her career at the WTA 125 in Midland.
- She reached the semifinals at the WTA 125 in Mexico after winning the W75 in Calgary in prior weeks.
- If Marino clinches the upset, she could collide with Beatriz Haddad Maia (15) in the third round.
- This marks the 34-year-old’s eighth AO appearance.
- Félix Auger-Aliassime (World No. 29): Will face Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany in the first round.
- Could potentially meet Casper Ruud (6) in the third round, Tommy Paul (12) in the fourth, and Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
- In 2024, Auger-Aliassime competed in the Madrid Masters final and won bronze in mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski at the Paris Olympics.
- His best AO performance was a quarterfinal berth in 2022.
- Denis Shapovalov (World No. 58): Will begin against Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain.
- The former World No. 10 made a comeback in 2024 after recovering from an injury in 2023.
- Ended last year with a title from the ATP 250 in Belgrade.
- Potential matchups include Lorenzo Musetti (16) in the second round, Ben Shelton (21) in the third, and Taylor Fritz (4) in the fourth.
- Gabriel Diallo (World No. 87): Enters his first AO main draw, facing No. 90 Luca Nardi of Italy.
- In 2024, he reached the US Open third round as a qualifier and the ATP 250 final in Almaty.
- Could face Karen Khachanov (19) in the second round and Stefanos Tsitsipas (11) in the third.
- Gabriela Dabrowski (World No. 3 in Women’s Doubles): Heads into the AO following an exceptional 2024 season.
- With Erin Routliffe, she became the first Canadian to win the doubles title at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
- Partnered with Félix Auger-Aliassime to win an Olympic medal in mixed doubles.
- Appeared in the finals of Wimbledon, the National Bank Open, and the Miami Open.
- The doubles draw will be held on Saturday, January 11.
- Robert Shaw (North Bay): Will compete in the quad wheelchair tennis division as the world No. 7.
- Shaw reached the doubles semifinals and singles quarterfinals at the 2024 Australian Open.
- He will pair with Heath Davidson of Australia in doubles.
Event Details
The main draw matches of the 2025 Australian Open begin on Sunday, January 12 (evening of January 11 in Canada) and will be broadcast live on TSN and RDS.
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Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres and professional events while financially supporting additional tournaments across the country. For more information, visit www.tenniscanada.com and follow them on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram.
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