2020 Australian Open: Career-high rankings propel #TeamYonex into the year’s first major

MELBOURNE - The Australian Open begins on Jan. 20, 2020 with over 40 players representing Team Yonex in the singles' main draw. 

Key Highlights:
World No. 3 Naomi Osaka (JPN) will be defending her title in Melbourne. Naomi has won 14 of her last 15 matches dating back to September, where she won the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Osaka. Naomi is in the same quarter as Serena Williams and could face Coco Gauff or Venus Williams in the third round.

[13] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) began 2020 with a career-high ranking and is looking to improve upon his 2019 Australian Open where he reached the third round. The young Canadian has a potential second round match up with 2019 Next Gen ATP Champion Jannik Sinner and a fourth round match up with Roger Federer.

Never count out 2014 Champion Stan Wawrinka (SUI). After falling out of the top-200 due to injury, Wawrinka exploded back into the top-20 at the end of 2019. A projected fourth round with Daniil Medvedev would be a welcomed re-match for Stan, who was defeated by the Russian in the US Open quarterfinals last year.

Last year’s Comeback Player of the Year Belinda Bencic (SUI) is sitting at her career-high ranking of 7 after a stellar 2019. Bencic reached the semifinals at the US Open and eventually qualified for the year-end Championships in November.

Look Out For:
A top-10 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the inaugural ATP Cup kicked off 2020 for Nick Kyrgios (AUS), but his success to begin the season does not come close to the impact he has had off court. Kyrgios sparked worldwide support of the tragic Australia bushfires by announcing a $200 donation for every ace he hit throughout the summer Down Under. He has already totaled 69 aces heading into the Open, which leads all ATP players*.
*As of January 16

2019 Roland-Garros Finalist Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) has only appeared in six matches since her run to the French Open finals. After undergoing wrist surgery and patiently rehabilitating throughout the end of last year, the 20-year-old Czech will enter Melbourne pain-free as the 15-seed.

Dayana Yastremska (UKR) partnered with coach Sascha Bajin in the offseason and is already seeing immediate results. For the first time in her career, Dayana defeated three top-20 opponents in the same tournament, reaching the finals* at the Adelaide International.
*Dayana will play the finals on Saturday (1/18) in Australia.

Last Australian Open, [31] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) was ranked outside the top-75. Now, after a career-best year and week-by-week improvements have Hubert ‘Hubi’ seeded for the first time at a major.

Did you know:
Yonex is the Official Stringing Team of the Australian Open for the 5th-straight year. Our international team of experts is dedicated to providing the world standard of racquet stringing and is supported by the Made-in-Japan ProTech 8 Deluxe machine that excels in precision stringing.

With a greater focus from the players on the performance of their equipment, the team has set a new record in tournament stringing each year, with 5,813 re-strings coming in 2019 alone.

"Yonex is a great tennis brand, much-loved around the world, and a perfect fit for the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.

Follow #TeamYonex all tournament long:

Women
Yafan Wang (CHN) – VCORE 100
Viktorija Golubic (SUI) – VCORE 100
[3] Naomi Osaka (JPN) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) – EZONE 100
[WC] Lizette Cabrera (AUS) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
Caroline Garcia (FRA) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125
[23] Dayana Yastremska (UKR) – VCORE PRO 100 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 / POLYTOUR DRIVE 125 | FUSIONREV3 | Melbourne Collection
Fiona Ferro (FRA) – VCORE 100 
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) – VCORE PRO 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
[6] Belinda Bencic (SUI) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
[19] Donna Vekic (CRO) – VCORE 100 
Timea Babos (HUN) – VCORE 100 
Tatjana Maria (GER) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR FIRE 120
Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
[31] Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR PRO 125 | Melbourne Collection
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
[15] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR AIR 125
[17] Angelique Kerber (GER) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR FIRE 120
Jessica Pegula (USA) – EZONE 98
Laura Siegemund (GER) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125
CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) – EZONE 98
[Q] Harriet Dart (GBR) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125 / REXIS 130
[Q] Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR PRO 120
[Q] Kaja Juvan (SLO) – EZONE 100 | PPOLYTOUR PRO 125
[Q] Nao Hibino (JPN) – VCORE 100 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125

Men
[23] Nick Kyrgios (AUS) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR PRO 120
Frances Tiafoe (USA) – VCORE PRO 97 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
Jaume Munar (ESP) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
[15] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) – VCORE PRO 97 | Melbourne Collection
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) – VCORE PRO 97 
Casper Ruud (NOR) – EZONE 100 | POLYTOUR SPIN 125 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 | FUSIONREV3 | Melbourne Collection 
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) – VCORE PRO 97 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 | Melbourne Collection
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR PRO 125
[13] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) – VCORE 95 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR PRO 130 / POLYTOUR PRO 125
Hubert Hurkacz (POL) – VCORE PRO 97 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 | ECLIPSION3 | Melbourne Collection
Steve Johnson (USA) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR PRO 120 | ECLIPSION3 | Melbourne Collection
Marcos Giron (USA) – VCORE 95
Radu Albot (MDA) – VCORE 98 | ECLIPSION3 | Melbourne Collection
Michael Mmoh (USA) – VCORE 98
Lloyd Harris (RSA) – EZONE 98 | POLYTOUR STRIKE 125
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) – VCORE 98 | POLYTOUR SPIN 125 | FUSIONREV3 | Melbourne Collection
[Q] Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) – VCORE 98 

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