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Rafael Nadal had to dig deep on Monday at the Australian Open to claw through his first-round match against Jack Draper. But for the defending champion it did not matter if it was a straightforward victory or not. A win was a win.

“I needed a victory, so that's the main thing. Doesn't matter the way. The most important thing today is a victory against a tough opponent,” Nadal said. “To win against Jack, as I said before the tournament started, has been one of the toughest first rounds possible being seeded. We knew [it is] not going to be perfect, as I said the other day. [It] was not perfect.

“But to win against Jack, I need to do things well. I think I did things well. So satisfied with the victory because that's give me the chance to play after tomorrow again.”

Entering the tournament, Nadal had lost six of seven matches. Last year he struggled with an abdominal injury.

“Of course, when you break the abdominal twice, [it] takes a while to recover the confidence in the movement. I mean, [it] was difficult for me for a few months to put the ball high and go for the ball,” Nadal said. “When you break the abdominal, you start to protect yourself, putting the ball more to the left, trying to not do the movement, the full movement, with the abdominal.”

Back at the Australian Open for the first time since his epic five-set comeback in the 2022 final, top seed Rafael Nadal won another see-saw match in Rod Laver Arena to kickstart his title defence on Monday afternoon. The Spaniard delivered in the crucial moments of a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory against 21-year-old debutante Jack Draper to reach the Melbourne second round for the 17th time.

"Last year was without a doubt one of the most emotional tournaments of my tennis career. I’m super happy to be back here in Australia one more time," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "I know it’s my 19th season on the professional Tour. I’m very excited about this new beginning, just super happy to be back here in Rod Laver Arena with a victory that I needed. The last couple of months haven’t been easy for me, but hopefully this victory is going to help me."

In an all-lefty matchup, Nadal clinched sets one and three with decisive, late breaks to make up for what was nearly a 6-0 second set for Draper. The Briton went toe-to-toe with Nadal and dominated for stretches, but ultimately fell victim to the 36-year-old's relentless pressure.

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As the Spaniard reclaimed the initiative in the third set, finding his forehand from all parts of the court, Draper began to struggle with cramps and required treatment during several changeovers.

Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the Australian Open on Monday due to a knee injury. The Australian was scheduled to face Roman Safiullin on Tuesday, but will be replaced in the draw by lucky loser Denis Kudla.

"Obviously this coming around is just bad timing. But that's life. Injury is a part of the sport. I guess I can draw some inspiration from someone like Thanasi [Kokkinakis] who has had a bunch of injuries and has bounced back," Kyrgios said. "Look, I'm not doubting I will be back to my full strength and playing the tennis I was playing prior to this event.

"Yeah, I'm devastated obviously. It's like my home tournament. I've had some great memories here. Obviously last year winning the title in doubles and playing the best tennis of my life probably. Then going into this event as one of the favourites, it's brutal. All I can do now is just look forward, do what I need to do and come back."

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Kyrgios earned one of the best results of his career at the 2022 Australian Open, where he partnered close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to the doubles title. The 27-year-old maintained his form throughout the year, advancing to the Wimbledon final in singles and triumphing at the Citi Open among other results.

Casper Ruud’s 2022 Australian Open ended before it began. During practice ahead of the season’s first major, the Norwegian hurt his ankle, forcing him to withdraw from the tournament.

As the world’s best players kicked into high gear at Melbourne Park, Ruud sat on a plane home doing exercises to take care of his ankle.

“My ankle was still a little swollen and stiff, so I had to do all these exercises while on the plane to keep the blood flowing and keep it moving a little bit so that it wouldn’t swell up completely,” Ruud told ATPTour.com. “But it was fine. It’s always sort of nice to come home no matter how you do, but it was tough to accept that I couldn’t even play a point and then watched the whole tournament from home for two weeks in a row.”

Ruud remembers the flight being ‘a little boring’. Instead of preparing for a match, he was doing exercises with a rubber band.

“For sure it’s frustrating, but it’s not the end of the world,” Ruud said. “That’s the good thing with tennis, that there’s a new chance coming right around the corner. Whether it’s an ATP tournament or a Grand Slam, there’s always something going on.”

Nick Kyrgios’ girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, played a key role in his career-best season on the ATP Tour.

In 2022, the Australian finished runner-up at Wimbledon and collected the Australian Open doubles title with his mate Thanasi Kokkinakis, a moment that was featured in the Netflix series Break Point.

In episode one of the docu-series, Hatzi is seen constantly by Kyrgios’ side. Whether it’s at the dinner table, practice sessions, sitting in the players’ box, or hanging out with the Aussie, Hatzi has been an important figure in the 27-year-old’s career since meeting him in the latter half of 2021.

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“We met online and we’ve been hanging out every day since… We’ve been together for about two-and-a-half months,” Hatzi shared in Break Point.

Shang Juncheng made history for China on Monday in his Grand Slam debut, as the #NextGenATP star became the first man from the Asian nation to win an Australian Open match in the Open Era.

In a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 victory against Germany's Oscar Otte, the 17-year-old qualifier used his attacking game to dictate play in Melbourne. After saving two break points in the opening set, he did not face another as he sealed the win on his third match point.

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The youngest player in the men's singles draw, Shang showed poise beyond his years as he stayed the course after letting slip two match points on return at 5-4 in the fourth set. With Otte again serving to stay in the match at 6-5, the lefty finished the job with his fourth break of the match.

Juncheng Shang ??? Take a bow!

The 17-year-old is the youngest player in the men's singles at #AO2023 and becomes the first male Chinese player to win an #AusOpen main-draw singles match in the Open Era.@wwos • @espn • @Eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/SzwIwU86oY

There is an invisible alliance between first serves and net points.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Rafael Nadal’s victory at the 2022 Australian Open uncovered the Spaniard was most successful coming forward when the point started with his first serve. Nadal came to the net 167 times in seven matches at Melbourne Park last year, with an eye-opening 50 per cent of them (84) occurring when Nadal started the point with a first serve.

2022 Australian Open: Nadal Net Points Played

It’s important to note that the analysis includes net points played at all rally lengths, not just immediately following a serve or return. It’s logical to discover that Nadal’s pin-point first serve facilitates most net points, but it goes against the grain that Nadal came to the net second most when returning first serves. Nadal is known to take up an extremely deep return position well behind the baseline when returning first serves, but that clearly does not stop him from finding his way forward to the net to finish points.

Another hypothesis is that the server immediately hits a drop shot to take advantage of his deep return position. That theory gains legs when you see that Nadal only won 54 per cent (19/35) of points when the point started for him with a first serve return. That’s well below the win percentage of the three other scenarios.

Jannik Sinner made a confident start at the Australian Open, where the 21-year-old is aiming to back up his run to the quarter-finals from one year ago. The 15th-seeded Italian ran away with a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 win against Kyle Edmund to open Monday's play in Melbourne — though he needed six match points to close out a marathon final service game.

"I think I played very solid today," Sinner said in his post-match interview in John Cain Arena. "I had some difficult times to finish it off, but I think my level was very good today."

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Sinner, who reached three quarter-finals and one fourth round (Roland Garros) at the Grand Slams in 2022, continued his consistent play in the early stages of the majors with a convincing win in under two hours.

After a 50-minute opening set, Sinner found a new gear to improve to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head against Great Britain's Edmund — with their first meeting coming earlier this month in Adelaide. The Italian saved five of six break points, including two in the final game, while breaking serve seven times from 10 chances.

After a standout season in 2022, Lorenzo Musetti is poised to take his young career even higher. And the 20-year-old is already learning valuable lessons on the road.

“An important part of our career is to try to put experience in our luggage that we carry,” Musetti told ATPTour.com.

The Italian is rapidly rising to the top of the sport and is gaining profitable experience against the world’s best. After collecting two Tour-level titles this past year, he qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals and is now at a career-high No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

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Perhaps no time last season was more memorable than when Musetti won a thrilling three-set battle against Carlos Alcaraz to claim the ATP 500 event in Hamburg.

Roberto Carballes Baena was practising inside John Cain Arena Thursday afternoon with Italian star Jannik Sinner. The pair trained for two hours before taking a five-minute break ahead of point play. During that brief stop, the Spaniard checked his phone, on which he noticed an unpleasant surprise.

Carballes Baena received a Twitter message that he would be facing nine-time champion Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open.

“For sure it is something that when I saw the draw, it was tough in one way,” Carballes Baena told ATPTour.com. “But in the other way it’s a very good experience for me. I think [Rod Laver Arena is] one of the best courts in the world so I will try to enjoy, I will try to give my best and I will try to do a good match.”

It is not the first time Carballes Baena has faced Djokovic at a Grand Slam. The Serbian triumphed 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 against him in the first round of the 2019 US Open.

“The first five, 10 minutes I was a little bit nervous. It was very different. It was like a movie. It is like they have a [clapper] and you have to start to play now. But after five or 10 minutes you start to focus on your game, try to give your best,” Carballes Baena. “I think maybe I know him a little bit more than the first time. I saw him so many times on TV but I didn’t play against him. I know that he’s very good in everything but I think I have more of an idea how to play.”

The third episode of Netflix’s Break Point takes fans behind the scenes of a dramatic moment for American Taylor Fritz before the biggest match of his career.

The California native suffered a freak ankle injury during his warmup for the 2022 BNP Paribas Open final. Struggling to put any weight on his right foot, Fritz described it as ‘one of the worst pains I have ever felt’.

Fritz’s coaching team, which consists of Michael Russell, Paul Annacone and physio Wolfgang Oswald, advised the American to not play the championship clash to ensure no further damage to his ankle.

Fritz elected to play and defeated all-time great Rafael Nadal in straight sets to win his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title. Annacone spoke with ATPTour.com about his fond, and perhaps stressful, memories from that day.

“I remember we were walking back into the players’ lounge before the match and Taylor turned to us and said, ‘Guys, I’m really sorry I’m such a pain in the a**, but I just won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t walk on the court,’” Annacone recalled. “I think Michael and I said, ‘Taylor, it’s your body. Do what you think you need to do, but we’re telling you what we think you should do.’”

Bryan Shelton competed in the Australian Open main draw six times in singles during his career. But perhaps his most notable moment in Melbourne came off the court. One year, the American was in the lobby of the Como Hotel when he met a woman named Lisa, the sister of colleague Todd Witsken.

This year, Bryan and Lisa’s son, Ben Shelton, is playing in the Australian Open for the first time.

“I think that would be a cool place to see,” the younger Shelton told ATPTour.com of the Como Hotel, cracking a laugh.

Shelton is one of the hottest prospects on the circuit. The lefty was even invited to participate in Australian Open Kids Tennis Day alongside superstars like Ashleigh Barty, Iga Swiatek, Nick Kyrgios and more.

What might surprise you is that the No. 92 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is on his first trip outside the United States. Why?

The opening day of Grand Slam action for 2023 features a host of star names looking to make an early statement at the Australian Open. Top 10 stars Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev are all in action, when a trio of home favourites are also hoping to make their mark on Monday in Melbourne.

ATPTour.com looks at some of the biggest clashes on the Day 1 schedule.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw

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[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Jack Draper (GBR)

Defending champion and top seed Nadal arrives at Melbourne Park in a relative slump by his own lofty standards. The Spaniard has lost six of his past seven matches and faces a difficult proposition first up in Melbourne in fast-rising Briton Jack Draper. Yet Nadal knows as well as anyone how to rouse his best level at a Grand Slam — the 36-year-old is chasing a record-extending 23rd major title this fortnight in Australia.

When fans tuned into Break Point - Netflix’s groundbreaking new tennis series – for the first time following its release on Friday, they were greeted with an opening episode centered around Nick Kyrgios.

The first episode followed the 27-year-old’s progress at the 2022 Australian Open, focusing on his dramatic run to the doubles title alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis. Speaking about the Netflix series ahead of this year's Australian Open, Kyrgios hopes and believes the show will be a success.

“It's massive opportunity for my brand to get out there,” Kyrgios said when asked about the series. “It's just so important for tennis. I think we've got so many great personalities, so many young personalities, and so many colourful athletes. Frances, Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, these guys are great tennis players and great people as well.

“I think when the big three kind of settle down and end up retiring, it's so important that these guys are on showcase globally. Tennis is one of the most global sports in the world. We need it to be successful.”

Kyrgios will lead home hopes at the Australian Open in the next fortnight, starting his campaign against Roman Safiullin. With his focus on the first major of the season, the World No. 21 admitted that he has yet to watch Break Point.

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski could face Stefanos Tsitsipas and Petros Tsitsipas in a popcorn second-round clash at the Australian Open following the doubles draw Sunday.

The Dutch-British pair, who lifted seven tour-level titles in 2022, are aiming to win their maiden Grand Slam title as a team and will open against John-Patrick Smith and Alexander Bublik. If Koolhof and Skupski can negotiate through the field, they are seeded to meet sixth seeds Harri Heliovaara and Lloyd Glasspool in the quarter-finals. Haliovaara and Glasspool have already tasted success this year, lifting the trophy at the Adelaide International 1.

View Doubles Draw

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Fourth seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are potential semi-final opponents for Koolhof and Skupski at the hard-court major. The Croatians arrive in Melbourne in impressive form, having lifted the title in Auckland. The 2021 Australian Open semi-finalists open against Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.

Magnus Norman is not just a former World No. 2, but one the most prominent coaches of this generation. The Swede helped guide Stan Wawrinka to three Grand Slam titles and No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

After time apart, Norman reunited with Wawrinka last year. ATPTour.com spoke with the Swede ahead of the Australian Open about Wawrinka’s epic series of matches against Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park, helping the Swiss find his best form and more.

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It’s been 10 years since Stan and Novak started a series of Australian Open matches. How fast has time flown since then?
It’s amazing, it feels like a couple years ago. You look back and you see that he turned pro in 2002, 20 years ago, time flies. You have to make the best of it every day, that’s what I tell the young players who are coming up and what Stan is telling the younger generation of Swiss players as well. You’re 16 or 17 then all of a sudden you’re 24 or 25. You need to make every day count.

Does Stan still play because he enjoys the game and wants to take advantage of these moments?
I definitely think so. He loves the training, the life, the preparing. He likes to play tennis and compete. He put so much effort in to try and come back after a tough couple years with injuries. It’s not easy to come back, you see a lot of guys struggling to find the level again. But Stan, within the last couple months has really been picking up and he’s at the level now where I see him [hit] the ball so well and he’s fit. That was the goal for the last couple years he has left, to try and compete and play at his best level.

Three players have something more than just the opening Grand Slam crown of the year to play for at the 2023 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas all start their campaigns knowing they will become the new No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings by lifting the trophy in Melbourne.

World No. 3 Ruud can also claim top spot by reaching the final, as long as neither Djokovic nor Tsitsipas wins the title. If none of those scenarios play out, the reign of current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, not playing in Melbourne due to injury, will continue.

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World No. 5 Djokovic arrives in Melbourne as one of the title favourites. He has won a record nine Australian Open titles, owns an 82-8 tournament record, and began his 2023 season in impressive fashion by lifting his 92nd tour-level trophy at the Adelaide International 1. He can return to World No. 1 for the first time since 6 June by winning his record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title in Melbourne.

The 35-year-old Serbian also has past experience on his side when it comes to battling for the top ranking. The seven-time year-end No. 1 has spent 373 weeks as World No. 1 across his career, longer than anyone else in history.

Following a thrilling start to the 2023 season, which saw Team United States win the inaugural United Cup, the world’s best players will now descend on Melbourne for the Australian Open.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year.

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1) Reigning Champion Nadal: One year ago, Rafael Nadal captured his second Australian Open title when he rallied from two-sets-to-love down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in an epic final. The top-seeded Spaniard returns to Melbourne this week aiming to clinch a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam crown.

It was a historic 2022 for Chinese men’s tennis, and the country’s stars are showing no signs of slowing down. When Shang Juncheng qualified for the Australian Open on Friday, the 17-year-old ensured more national history would be made.

Shang, Wu Yibing and Zhang Zhizhen are the first male Chinese trio to compete in a Grand Slam men’s singles draw in the Open Era (since 1968) and the first in all of Australian Open history (since 1905).

“Those two are inspirations for me. They’re like older brothers and I think they’re doing really well for Chinese men’s tennis,” Shang told ATPTour.com. “They’ve inspired me a lot and they’ve been on the Tour longer than me, so it’s always good experience practising with them, talking to them, and I wish them all the best for this upcoming Australian Open.”

In September 2021, Shang had yet to earn a Pepperstone ATP Ranking point. Now the Chinese star is inside the world’s Top 200. ‘Jerry’ is the youngest Grand Slam men’s qualifier since 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz at the 2021 Australian Open.

“I’m super excited to be here and I don’t think it’s a surprise for me. It’s obviously not in the calendar that I’ll be playing the main draw of the Australian Open when I’m 17 years old,” said Shang, who is being coached by Dante Bottini, the former coach of Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov. “I’m just very excited for this opportunity to be able to play qualifying and have the chance to qualify. I’m very excited for what’s coming next.”

When the Australian Open draw was made, several matches stood out. Matteo Berrettini is playing Andy Murray in the first round and Andrey Rublev is facing Dominic Thiem.

But perhaps the biggest opportunity belongs to Jack Draper, the 21-year-old Briton who will try to upset top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal.

“It’ll be amazing to play on court with him, he’s a great champion," Draper said. "[There are] a lot of emotions obviously when I think of playing him.”

Nadal is still very much the present, but it is clear Draper is part of the future. Already with two Top 10 wins on his resume and an appearance at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, the lefty is on the rise. The World No. 40 is not allowing his early success to get to his mind, though.

“Tennis is such a small bubble and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the winning and losing and the pressures and the challenges on a daily basis. It’s not easy sometimes,” Draper said. “I’m learning how to enjoy it a little bit more, and I think when mentally I start to learn how to enjoy the challenges, that’s when it will become really fulfilling for me.