Australian Open Preview 2020: Let It Rain

As the Australian Open tennis tournament opens in Melbourne Monday night , a small stroke of good fortune—in the form of thunderstorms carrying some desperately needed rain—seems to have saved the opening of the 2020 tennis season from potential disaster. While Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic was forced to withdraw from the qualifying rounds earlier in the week due to air conditions , the welcome change in weather—with more thunderstorms apparently on the way—may have actually saved the tournament.

A host of tennis players, led by Aussies Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios, along with their sport’s governing bodies and a host of others—from New Zealand cricket teams to American NBA stars to F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, along with Kylie Jenner, Jeff Bezos, and literally thousands of others—have donated millions of dollars to support victims of the fire, with the initiative led by Kyrgios, who first announced a donation of $200 for every ace he serves this summer, already totaling more than $5...

As for the tennis itself? With Bianca Andreescu absent with a knee injury, defending champion Naomi Osaka’s title defense would seem to be one step easier—though far, far from a sure thing, with Ash Barty grabbing the number one seed and a showdown with Serena Williams in her quarter of the brackets. First round matches to keep an eye on: American Madison Keys vs. Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, and Venus Williams vs. the phenomenon known as Coco Gauff.

On the men’s side, the usual triumvirate of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer, who between them have won the last dozen majors dating back to 2016, will all be there—and they’re all healthy. Bet against them at your risk—though if there’s a spoiler, it’s likely to be Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, the tournament’s number-four seed and, more and more, the potential spoiler of any major.

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