After turning into the primary Australian in the Open period to make a third Monte Carlo quarterfinal final week, Alex de Minaur is aiming to construct on his claycourt kind in Barcelona this week.
Seeded third, De Minaur faces Austrian qualifier and world No.82 Sebastian Ofner in the primary spherical of the ATP 500 occasion.
The pair have solely met as soon as on the tour, with the Australian rising a straight-sets victor in Acapulco in 2024.
Should he triumph once more, ‘Demon’ will play both qualifier Hamad Medjedovic, whom he defeated in the second spherical of the Australian Open, or fortunate loser Marco Trungelliti.
The Aussie No.1 is defending factors in the Spanish metropolis after making the final eight in 2025, the place he misplaced to Carlos Alcaraz.
But he’ll arrive with rising confidence in his claycourt recreation because of the Monte Carlo run, the place he bested Cameron Norrie and Alexander Blockx earlier than falling to ascendent native hero Valentin Vacherot.
Meanwhile, Daria Kasatkina has returned from a hip damage which has stored the Australian out of action since February.
The world No.72 faces fifth-seeded American Ann Li on the Rouen Open, a WTA 250 occasion in northern France.
A win would earn Kasatkina a second-round matchup towards both Kamilla Rakhimova or Elvina Kalieva.
The 28-year-old was constructing critical momentum in the early levels of the season. She beat Sixteenth-seeded Elise Mertens in Doha’s second spherical earlier than taking a set off then-world No.2 Iga Swiatek in the spherical of 16, and went on to attain a first-round win in Dubai previous to the damage.
On the doubles courtroom, world No.20 Ellen Perez will once more companion Demi Schuurs on the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open.
The duo have developed a formidable partnership this yr, having made the semifinals in Adelaide and the quarterfinals in Abu Dhabi and Indian Wells, and can face Fang Hsien Wu and Eri Hozumi in spherical one.
Elsewhere, 5 Aussie males are taking the courtroom on the Busan Open Challenger in South Korea.
James Duckworth is the occasion’s high seed and arrives in a wealthy vein of kind having made Challenger finals in Mexico City and San Luis in the previous fortnight. The world No.86 faces August Holmgren.
Adam Walton is second seed and can battle Hsu Yu-hsiou in the opening spherical, whereas fifth-seeded Dane Sweeny performs Ilya Ivashka.
Alex Bolt and James McCabe go head-to-head in an all-Aussie matchup.
Another 5 Aussies are in the singles draw of the Wuning Open Challenger in China: Li Tu, Moerani Bouzige, Omar Jasika, Philip Sekulic and Blake Ellis.
In the doubles draw, Ethan Cook and Tai Sach are fourth seeds, whereas Joshua Charlton can be in action.
The Tallahassee Challenger additionally will get underway in Florida, with Patrick Harper and Alex Bulte that includes in doubles.
Rounding out this week’s Australian doubles contingent are Blake Bayldon and Tenika Mcgiffin, who’re each taking part in doubles occasions in Oeiras, Portugal.
