'Wild draw': Unthinkable Australian Open match-up

First circular opponent: Sofia Kenin (USA, satellite ranking 280)

This match-up is scarcely believable owed to the information that they are the lone 2 players successful the gully to person antecedently lifted the trophy.

Azarenka won back-to-back Australian Open titles a decennary agone (2012 and 2013), portion Kenin's vocation has gone disconnected the rails since her improbable triumph successful 2020. The American came from the clouds to triumph her archetypal and lone expansive slam that year, upsetting Australia's satellite No.1 Ash Barty successful the semi-final, earlier denying a erstwhile satellite No.1, Spaniard Garbine Muguruza successful the last aft dropping the archetypal set.

Reacting to the Azarenka-Kenin match-up, highly regarded tennis writer Ben Rothenberg tweeted: "There are lone 2 erstwhile #AusOpen champs progressive successful women's tennis close now, and they got drawn against each different successful the archetypal round.

"Kenin-Azarenka. Wild draw."