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Reigning Australian Open champion Roger Federer will launch the defence of his 2017 crown against Aljaz Bedene, while six-time former champion Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record seventh title will begin against Donald Young, sharing the bottom half of the draw with the Swiss at Australian Open 2018.

Federer, who lifted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for a fifth time by beating Rafael Nadal in last year’s final, faces the Slovenian for the first time, and shares his quarter with Milos Raonic, Juan Martin del Potro, David Goffin and Tomas Berdych.

Nadal, the world No.1 and top seed, opens his bid for a second Australian Open triumph - and third of the last four majors - against 37-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos, their first career meeting. Also in Nadal’s quarter: No.6 seed Marin Cilic, No.10 seed Pablo Carreno Busta - who faces Jason Kubler - and No.16 seed John Isner, who takes on Matt Ebden.

Djokovic, who is currently tied with Roy Emerson as the most successful men’s singles champions in tournament history, returns to tournament action for the first time since a six-month injury lay-off seeded No.14. The 30-year-old, situated in Federer’s half of the draw, will likely face Qatar Open champion Gael Monfils should he reach the second round.

Also making his return from injury is 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, back at Melbourne Park after knee surgery. The Swiss, seeded No.9 and another in Federer’s half of the draw, will open against Ricardas Berankis.

Last year’s semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov returns as No.3 seed in 2018 and will launch his bid to reach a maiden Grand Slam final against qualifiers in his first two rounds, while No.4 seed Sascha Zverev takes on Thomas Fabbiano, with a possible third-round showdown with elder broker Mischa. Dimitrov is in the top half of the draw, Zverev joining Federer in the bottom half.

Nick Kyrgios, the Australian No.1 seeded No.17 - as Federer was last year - will take on Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva, the world No.100, in the first round, with a potential third-round showdown with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and fourth-round meeting with Dimitrov on the cards. Alex De Minaur will hope his red-hot form continues against No.19 seed Berdych in the first round.

The build up to the opening grand slam of the year in Melbourne should be a time when players are refreshed, re-energised and raring to get going following a much-deserved yet brief off-season.

The lead up to this year's Australian Open has so far been dominated by injury doubts, player withdrawals and off-field issues which leaves organisers sweating over which marquee players will actually turn up and be fit enough to see out the fortnight.

With 11 days to go until the slam gets under way, we take a look at the players who are missing in action and those whose own participation remains unclear.

The withdrawals
Andy Murray
The British No 1 and five-times Australian Open finalist reluctantly made the call to pull out of his second successive grand slam with a long-standing hip injury.

The 30-year-old took a detour to Melbourne to under go surgery before heading home in the hope that he will recover in time for the grass court season.

Murray mulls over his options
Murray is heading for home to assess his options which includes going under the knife CREDIT: PA
“I’ve been fairly competitive with top 50 players in the world in Brisbane when I’m struggling to move,” said Murray following surgery. “And I made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when I literally couldn’t walk and was in so much pain. So if I can get myself to 95 per cent of my best I believe that’s enough to compete at the highest level.”

Kei Nishikori
The Japanese became the first high-profile player to rule himself out of the slam earlier this week.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined with a wrist injury since last August but feels he needs more time to continue his rehab and isn't yet ready for the rigours of five-set matches.

Nishikori, who reached the fourth round in Melbourne last time out, spoke of being hurt to miss his "home" slam but added his rehab is "going well".

Serena Williams
Eleven months after winning her seventh Australian Open and Open-era 23rd grand slam deep into her first trimester, Serena Williams will not feature in Melbourne in 2018.

The 36-year-old lost an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi last week, her first competitive action in almost a year after giving birth to her daughter in September.

And a day after refusing a wildcard entry into the Sydney International, Williams said the tournament came just too soon for her.

Serena Williams in action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi
Serena Williams returned to competitive action in Abu Dhabi
"After competing in Abu Dhabi I realised that although I am super close, I'm not where I personally want to be," Williams said in a statement Friday. "My coach and team always said 'Only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way.' I can compete - but I don't want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time.

"With that being said, and even though I am disappointed about it, I've decided not to compete in the Australian Open this year."

Victoria Azarenka
The Belarusian missese out on a second straight slam due to an ongoing legal battle surrounding the custody of her son.

The two-times champion in 2012 and 2013, had been handed a wildcard by organisers but she was forced to turn it down due to off-court issues.

Azarenka is not able to take her young son out of Californian for legal reasons and has not competed since Wimbledon last summer.

Tournament director Craig Tiley said: "It's unfortunate that Azarenka is unable to travel to Australia this year. The Australian Open is her favourite tournament and she's looking forward to returning to Melbourne next year."

The injury doubts
Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard's withdrawal from the Brisbane International led to fears his chances of being fit to compete at the Australian Open were in the balance.

Nadal has been plagued by a knee issue since the back end of 2017 with the 31-year-old pulling out of Basel and then the Paris Masters and World Tour Finals in London.


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The omens currently look positive for Nadal. The world No 1 boarded a flight bound for Melbourne on Wednesday and said he would compete at the Tie Break Tens in the build up.

Garbine Muguruza
The Wimbledon champion broke down in tears at the Brisbane event when she was struck by leg cramps which forced her to retire.

Muguruza was leading in the third set of her match with Aleksandra Krunic when she fell to the court and needed treatment for severe cramp.

It's the fourth year running the Spaniard has withdrawn from Brisbane but on every other occasion she has been fit enough to compete in Melbourne.


Muguruza has entered next week's Sydney event to get match-time under her belt boosting her chances of making a sixth-straight appearance at the opening major.

Johanna Konta
What is it with British players and hip complaints? Just hours before Murray's official withdrawal from Melbourne due to his long-standing hip issue, and Konta was forced to pull out of her Brisbane quarter-final with a similar injury.

Konta had not reached the last eight of an event since the Cincinnati Open last August before her run in Brisbane which had initially boosted her hopes of a decent run in Melbourne.

Konta receives treatment for a hip complaint
Konta was forced to pull out of the Brisbane event with a hip injury CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
The 26-year-old reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2017 and the semi-finals the year before.

Konta was able to shake off the complaint to play in Sydney this week but suffered a first-round loss to Agnieszka Radwanska.

Novak Djokovic
The six-time Australian Open winner will use two exhibition tournaments next week to determine whether his elbow is up to the rigours of competitive action again.

Djokovic has missed the last six months with a long-standing elbow complaint that saw him pull out of warm-up events in Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

Now he will play at the Kooyang Classic and Tie Break Tens evening at Melbourne Park in the week leading up the opening slam to ascertain his fitness levels.

Djokovic suffered a second-round exit to Denis Istomin at the Australian Open last year.

The enfant terrible
Bernard Tomic
After admitting to feigning injury and being "a little bored" at Wimbledon, Tomic hasn't been handed the red-carpet treatment by his home slam organisers.

Tomic has not been handed a wildcard for the tournament and has declared he will not put himself through qualifying.

Tomic looks on forlornly
Tomic won't be appearing at his home slam CREDIT: AFP
If rumours are correct, then the 25-year-old might have a better offer on the table later this month. Reports in Australia say Tomic is being lined up to appear in I'm A Celebrity....Get Me Out of Here, with the Australian version of the programme set in the African jungle.

Tomic could stand to earn over £443,000 from the show which would boost his bank balance. That would please Tomic who has previously said that he only plays tennis for the money.